Honda and Sony embark on new electric vehicle venture
A new electric vehicle has been promised by 2025, coming from a joint venture between Japanese giants Sony and Honda.
Honda Motor Company and Sony Group have finalised an agreement which will result in the creation of a new joint venture between the two parties.
Sony Honda Mobility will be established to “engage in the sale of high-value-added electric vehicles (EVs) and provide services for mobility,” according to a statement released on Thursday, with both Honda and Sony to each hold an equal 50 per cent of shares.
“We plan to fully leverage the technological assets the two companies possess in different fields, such as Sony’s sensing technology and Honda’s original mobility development capabilities, to realize mobility and services that inspire and excite our customers,” said Yasuhide Mizuno, the CEO of Sony Honda Mobility.
“By bringing together the expertise of both companies, we aim to lead the way in a new era.”
It’s expected the new alliance will bring EVs to market with some level of autonomous driving tech, with Sony said to be bringing its “expertise in the development and application of imaging, sensing, telecommunication, network and entertainment technologies,” while Honda will be responsible for manufacturing and after-sales, while also contributing to vehicle safety and development.
It’s likely the Sony-Honda vehicle will be a direct competitor to the much-rumoured Apple car – with industry rumours suggesting Apple’s electric vehicle will be the cutting edge of autonomous driving systems.
Sony revealed its Vision-S 01 (top) and 02 SUV electric concept cars in recent years, with a chassis manufactured by Magna Steyr, and road testing of the Vision-S 01 occurring in Europe in 2021 – an unusual move for what was purported to be nothing more than a technology showcase.
It’s not clear whether the Vision-S vehicles will appear in the future with a Sony badge or a Honda badge – or both – but the new venture has promised its first EV will go on sale in 2025, suggesting much of the development has already been completed on the forthcoming model.
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