Who could have predicted that the next frontier for growth among home appliance makers would be venturing into car manufacturing? Take, for instance, renowned brands like Xiaomi, Roborock, Dreame, Gree, and Skyworth—all have made their foray into the automotive arena. Even JD.com, a retailer primarily known for home appliances, has dipped its toes into the automotive sector.

Beyond those already producing or in the process of manufacturing cars, a multitude of home appliance companies are gearing up to enter the market. Case in point: a recent hot search topic—another home appliance behemoth has announced its entry into car manufacturing...

This titan is none other than Sharp. According to media reports, Sharp has declared its entry into the automotive sector and plans to unveil its first all-electric MPV—the LDK+—in 2027.

Notably, this vehicle made its debut at the 2025 Tokyo Motor Show. Constructed on Foxconn's electric vehicle platform, it is positioned as a pure electric MPV and was co-developed by Sharp, Hon Hai Group, and FoloFly. Dubbed LDK+, the name stands for 'Living + Dining + Kitchen.' From the information that has been revealed, Sharp's inaugural model underscores a 'mobile living room' concept, featuring rotating seats, a folding table, and a flat floor, enabling multi-scenario switching for both meetings and family entertainment.

From this vantage point, this vehicle undoubtedly surpasses many domestic manufacturers in terms of refrigerators, color TVs, and large sofas. Significantly, a year ago, Sharp announced its entry into the electric vehicle market and outlined plans to launch multiple electric vehicle models in the future.

At that juncture, a teaser for the first concept model, LDK+, was also unveiled, showcasing a prototype vehicle outfitted with a 65-inch colossal screen.

Online opinions on Sharp's venture into car manufacturing are divided. Some contend, 'They're struggling with TVs; can they truly master car manufacturing?'

Others posit that in the short term, crossovers encounter dual challenges: technological transformation and user trust. In the long run, however, home appliance giants leveraging their ecosystem integration capabilities could propel the automotive industry toward 'manufacturing contractization, product scenarioization, and channel lifestyle integration.' Nevertheless, Sharp's heightened confidence in car manufacturing this time may stem from Foxconn. The backdrop is that in 2016, Foxconn acquired a 66% stake in Sharp for $3.5 billion. Sharp's inaugural model is reportedly slated to be manufactured by Foxconn... based on Hon Hai Technology's Model A all-electric vehicle, with the production version expected to roll off the line in 2027.

Foxconn has also made early strides in the automotive manufacturing sector. Foxconn executives once audaciously declared their ambition to provide contract manufacturing for 5% of the world's electric vehicles by 2025. For instance, in 2005, they acquired An Tai Electric Industry to infiltrate the supply chain, subsequently supplying parts to industry titans like Tesla and Mercedes. In 2015, they forged a partnership with Tencent and Harmony Auto to establish Harmony AutoTech, venturing into vehicle manufacturing. In 2020, they collaborated with Yulon Motor to found Hon Hai Advanced and launched the pure electric platform 'MIH,' although collaborations with Byton and Fisker did not materialize. Moreover, Foxconn unveiled a highly modular electric vehicle platform in 2021 and introduced concept models like Model C and Model E. And let's not overlook the infamous scene resembling a verbal altercation when they unveiled a crossover vehicle in 2022.

That said, in today's automotive industry, manufacturing prowess alone is far from adequate, as Foxconn itself exemplifies. So, will consumers embrace Sharp's cars?

Chaigoufujiki © Author | Xiaochai No.4 Editor | Tan Song