What's quietly happening behind the scenes at $SONY?
Quietly, Sony is working on developing an autonomous vehicle in cooperation with Honda...
And is there a connection to a purchase coming from Congress?
Let's start from the beginning
Sony is probably known to you from PlayStation or major movies you've watched - but in fact, it's a conglomerate that encompasses several divisions:
Games and network services, including the PlayStation brand.
Music and movies: Sony has one of the largest content libraries in the world.
Electronics products, cameras, televisions, and audio devices.
Image sensors - Sony is the world's leading supplier of CMOS sensors for smartphones (including for Apple's iPhone!).
Financial solutions: banking and insurance arm.
The day before yesterday - we identified that Congressman Steve Cohen reported a purchase of Sony shares he made on December 26 - about a month and a half ago.
His stock purchase event occurs - as Sony's stock recently dropped about 25% from its all-time high...
And perhaps something else is happening behind the scenes?
We found several interesting data points -
Steve sits on 2 congressional committees - and both are directly related to Sony
Judiciary Committee: This committee deals with intellectual property (IP) issues, copyrights, and antitrust.
As a giant entertainment and gaming company, heavily involved in mergers and acquisitions with various companies - Sony is directly affected by decisions regarding copyrights and struggles against monopolies (for example - Sony's fight against Microsoft's acquisition of Activision reached the US legal and regulatory system).
But besides that, Steve serves on another committee
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee: This committee directly oversees the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
This is the government body that determines, for example - whether a vehicle is allowed to drive without a steering wheel or pedals,
And also - is responsible for various approvals for sensor technology.
And this is where it gets interesting?
Although Sony is identified with PlayStation and movies, its vehicle project (in partnership with Honda) is a critical "growth engine" for the company's future, the official brand is called AFEELA (a combination of the word Feel), and it is manufactured by Sony Honda Mobility - a joint venture where Honda is responsible for manufacturing and engineering, and Sony for software, sensors, and entertainment.
This is a special concept of an autonomous vehicle that also serves as an entertainment hub, with built-in PlayStation support, advanced 3D graphics, and more.
And the price?
Between $90,000 and $100,000 - direct competition for Tesla's Model S
And Steve Cohen's committee? - holds the keys to the success of this project in the US.
Why?
Here are a few examples
The vehicle is equipped with 40 to 45 different sensors - the committee on which Cohen sits is responsible for deciding which sensors and technologies will be considered a mandatory safety standard - a decision that directly affects Sony's product.
In addition, Sony presented concepts in which the vehicle appears without a steering wheel or pedals - this issue also depends on the committee's decision.
The success of Sony's venture in the United States depends on charging availability - Cohen's committee is responsible for allocating massive budgets, among other things, for establishing charging stations.
The committee is currently legislating to determine laws regarding autonomous vehicle communication with infrastructure - a critical area for the success of autonomous ventures.
Sony's aspiration is to reach Level 3 - the level where the driver can take their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road - this is precisely the stage where approvals from transportation committees (like Steve Cohen's) become critical.
Here's an example from recent days: Last week, the committee decided to limit charging stations for electric vehicles that will receive future purchase, installation, and subsidy support to products manufactured in the US from American parts only.
When examining the timeline, something interesting is revealed - orders have already begun in certain areas like California, with deliveries expected to start in mid-2026.
We are monitoring