Sharp’s EV concept wants to talk to your fridge and washing machine

In September last year, electronics giant Sharp decided it wanted to build a car. Where have we heard that idea before? Anyway, this car was actually to be a stubby-nosed minivan called the LDK+, and because it was made by Sharp there was a giant 65in television screen in the back.

Now though, Sharp has refined its concept and given us a glimpse of the LDK+ Mk2. It’s still a dinky little van based on a Foxconn EV platform, but it now looks much closer to production with its slightly longer bonnet and sliding rear doors.

Sharp tells us the LDK+ concept now uses its proprietary AI technology to connect with your home appliances. Yep, because what we’ve always wanted is for our car to be able to talk to our washing machine.

“The AI learns residents’ lifestyles and preferences, creating personalised new ways of living,” says a press release. Really not helping the whole ‘AI taking over the world’ situation, is it?

THE LDK+ will be shown off at the Japan Mobility Show later this week, with its interior now also evolved into an “extension of the living room”. Rather than the giant telly, it now features a projector mounted in its central table, so you can spin the driver’s seat to face backwards and pull down a screen to create your own little cinema space.

There’s no word on what powertrain bits the LDK+ would deploy or whether it’ll ever make it over to Europe. No clue as to how much it’d cost either. We’d suggest asking your toaster to see if it has any inside information…