Sony and Honda to co-develop EVs
Tech giants sign deal to build battery-powered cars by 2025Sony has already unveiled its own prototype electric vehicles, but now the tech giant has signed a memorandum of understanding to form a joint-venture with Honda to develop and produce a range of EVs to rival the likes of Tesla from 2025.
The consumer goods giant promised at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January that it would deliver a range of EVs including a seven-seat SUV and a sports sedan, and now says it will use Honda’s factories to produce them.
Until now, the Sony Vision-S 02 SUV (pictured) and Vision-S sedan prototypes had not been confirmed for sale to the public, as the company had no means of producing them.
The Vision-S sedan was developed with Magna-Steyr in Austria and pitched as a mobile testbed for Sony’s imaging, sensing, human machine interface and 5G technologies.
Now, Sony and Honda plan to deliver electric vehicles as early as 2025.
In press release issued by the Japanese car-making giant, chief executive Toshihiro Mibe said the new company will aim to stand at the forefront of innovation, evolution, and expansion of mobility around the world.
“We will do so by leveraging Honda’s cutting-edge technology and know-how in relation to the environment and safety, while aligning the technological assets of both companies,” he said.
“Although Sony and Honda are companies that share many historical and cultural similarities, our areas of technological expertise are very different, Therefore, I believe this alliance which brings together the strengths of our two companies offers great possibilities for the future of mobility.”
Under the agreement, Honda will gain access to Sony’s technology and entertainment options – think in-built PlayStations – while Sony will benefit from Honda’s industry knowledge, manufacturing expertise and after-sales service management experience.
As it stands, Honda already sells multiple pure electric vehicles in Japan and Europe, however, none are yet available in Australia.
Although it was a hybrid vehicle pioneer in this country, Honda Australia says it continues to study its EV strategy.
In September 2021, Honda Australia told carsales the cute Honda e remains off the cards locally, where a small electric SUV previewed by the e:Prototype could become Honda’s first EV – but not before 2023.
Related: CES 2022: Sony electric cars are closer
Related: Honda Australia’s first EV "a couple of years" away
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