OSAKA -- Sharp's plan to enter the electric vehicle business faces hurdles as a drop in patent submissions and R&D expenses, as well as two consecutive years in the red, raise questions about its ability to fund and develop cutting-edge technology.
New patent filings down three-quarters in 10 years as group slashes spending

Sharp's LDK+ concept imagines an EV's interior as an extension of one's living room. (Photo by Yuki Nakao)
OSAKA -- Sharp's plan to enter the electric vehicle business faces hurdles as a drop in patent submissions and R&D expenses, as well as two consecutive years in the red, raise questions about its ability to fund and develop cutting-edge technology.