Panasonic’s CES theme for 2022 is “Forever Forward” and the company began its press presentation by discussing the impact it has on both people and the planet. Daily, more than 1 billion people around the world use Panasonic products, making Panasonic responsible for 1 percent of the world’s electricity consumption. This usage also contributes 110,000,000 tons of CO2 emissions each year—estimated to be more than 40 times greater than Panasonic’s factories produce when creating these products. The company realizes its impact is huge and so is its potential to contribute to a brighter future.
This has led to the company’s Panasonic GREEN IMPACT initiative where it is committed to reducing CO2 emissions generated from its own business operations, as well as from its products being used, to be better for both people and the planet. This is in line with Panasonic’s founding mission statement over 100 years ago where it was meant to empower people to live better lives and make the world a better place.
Yuki Kusumi, Panasonic Group CEO, says the company is taking action to counteract the effects of climate change on the planet, and the company is committed to reducing the CO2 emissions of all operation companies to net zero by 2030. Panasonic will also reduce the environmental impact of its products being used by developing new technologies and solutions to increase their efficiency.
Megan Myungwon Lee, chairwoman and CEO, Panasonic North America, interviewed Olympic champion and swimming legend Katie Ledecky on their collaboration with a new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education program called STEM Forward. In partnership with Discovery Education, they expect to reach over 400,000 students in the U.S. in the next year alone, connecting students in grades 3 through 8 to the game-changing power of technology at no cost.
Joe Conover, Panasonic’s strategic account manager, announced the company had embarked on a 5-year partnership with AREA15, an experiential event area located just off the Strip in Las Vegas that features an immersive playground, with live events, art installations, eateries and more, all pushing the boundaries of art and technology every day. AREA15’s main experience center “The Portal” utilizes 14 Panasonic laser 4K projectors and technologies to deliver a fully immersive projection experience.
Next up was a discussion of Panasonic’s developments in automotive systems headed by Scott Kirchner, president, Panasonic Automotive Systems. Kirchner said driver and passenger safety is paramount and underpins everything Panasonic does. To go with this, the company announced its new Driveable AR HUD 2.0 with patented eye-tracking system. The goal is for the car to have a true understanding of its surroundings and present that information to the driver in a simple understandable manner and increase the driver’s situational awareness. An AR camera in the HUD will see and track what the driver is looking at keeping images clear, sharp, and in focus and incorporating safety features like drowsiness detection.
Data shows that the automobile has replaced the office as the place where we are spending most of our time outside of home, so in-vehicle entertainment is more important than ever. To deliver studio-quality sound, Panasonic announced the new 2022 Acura MDX Type S will feature a new ELS Studio 3D audio system, the pinnacle of its offerings and the most powerful Acura sound system to date. Crafted in collaboration with Grammy-award winning producer Elliot Scheiner, the system is designed to deliver a premium experience at any seat in vehicle, and will feature 25 speakers, two amplifiers, 1008 watts of total power and new carbon fiber speaker diaphragms.
Panasonic is also collaborating with Totem USA to launch the Zen Rider, the first UL-certified E-bike. Going on sale in January, the Zen Rider blends design with safety and features 75 newton meters of max torque with a 404-watt per hour battery to deliver pedal assistance speeds up to 15 mph.
Michelle Esgar, senior group manager marketing and brand experience, then took the virtual stage to announce a new partnership with food delivery service, Blue Apron, to develop meal kits and recipes that can be quickly and easily prepared in Panasonic microwaves.
Speaking of microwaves, Panasonic launched a new smart inverter microwave that works with Alexa. Simply Ask Alexa up to 100 commands like “soften butter” or “reheat cup of coffee” for hands-free operation and zero setup on Amazon. Also new for the kitchen is a HomeCHEF 7-in-1 multi-oven. This wonder gadget is compact enough to squeeze into the counters of the smallest kitchens but can still hold a full chicken! It air fries, convection bakes, steams, slow cooks, ferments and sanitizes, all using a combination of steam and convection to deliver healthy, flavorful food of all types.
In the personal care category, Panasonic announced the Arc6, its first-ever six-blade shaver. Utilizing an ultra-fast linear motor that uses one of world’s strongest magnets, the Arc6 features Japanese blade technology and can deliver 84,000 cross-cutting actions per minute and has a shaving head that moves in 22 directions for a closer shave than ever before.
Panasonic saved all AV-related announcements until the end, when Esgar announced two Technics products, including EAH-A800 over-the-ear noise cancelling wireless headphones and the SA-C600 compact network CD receiver, part of the company’s new “Premium C600” series. This is an all-in-one solution that can connect to virtually any speaker, and features Space Tune to optimize the sound based on room acoustics.
Finally, new for 2022 is the LZ2000, Panasonic’s Flagship OLED TV. Available in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch sizes, the display is tuned for superb color accuracy for highest quality film playback. The LZ2000 is also a gaming powerhouse with new game control overlay, Nvidia GPU detection, improved 60 Hz latency and HDMI 2.1 support for next-gen gaming consoles. The displays will also feature improved audio with a row of array speakers capable of delivering Dolby Atmos immersive audio and the ability to tune the sound to optimize playback for a single viewer or a group.
Panasonic’s latest products can be seen in booth #N246.
