Sony and Honda to join hands, develop electric vehicles together

Honda Motor and tech giant Sony Group have announced their decision to form a strategic alliance to develop and sell electric vehicles. The two companies recently signed a memorandum of understanding with focus on EVs. As part of this joint agreement, Honda will take care of manufacturing the first electric vehicle model to be developed by the two companies. Sony will develop the mobility service platform for the first model.

The two companies have also announced that their first jointly developed electric car will hit the markets by 2025.

Sony has been seeking new technology partners who will contribute to its EV project by setting up a vehicle that will not only help with mobility but also will be a source of entertainment. Sony revealed Vision-S 02 and Vision-S 01, an electric SUV prototype and an electric sedan, in CES 2022 earlier this year.

The new venture between Honda and Sony is expected to plan, design, develop, and sell the EVs.

Toshihiro Mibe, Director, President and CEO at Honda Motor, said, “The New Company will aim to stand at the forefront of innovation, evolution, and expansion of mobility around the world, by taking a broad and ambitious approach to creating value that exceeds the expectations and imagination of customers. 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. 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."

Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President and CEO at Sony Group Corporation, said, “Sony’s Purpose is to ‘fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology.’ Through this alliance with Honda, which has accumulated extensive global experience and achievements in the automobile industry over many years and continues to make revolutionary advancements in this field, we intend to build on our vision to ‘make the mobility space an emotional one,’ and contribute to the evolution of mobility centered around safety, entertainment and adaptability."

Earlier in January this year, Yoshida had announced plans to create a new company, Sony Mobility, to explore commercial launch of its electric vehicles. With this move, Sony is joining the wagon of technology firms exploring automotive opportunities that include iPhone maker Apple Inc and South Korea's LG Electronics Taiwan's Foxconn.