Honda, Sony may join forces to have new EV venture: Report

That two of Japan's biggest multinational companies will join hands to make a combined bid into the world of electric mobility has been known for some time but a report now states that automotive brand Honda and tech giant Sony could tie-up for an entirely new electric vehicle (EV) joint venture that could potentially take on the might of Apple that's also working on an EV.

Both Honda and Sony had confirmed earlier this year that there are plans to combine forces to work together in the field of EVs. But it has now been learnt that this could lead to the culmination of a joint venture. "We shared the view that it is better to make the joint venture independent, in the long run, rather than putting it under Sony or Honda," Sony President and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida told Nikkei Asia.

Both Honda and Sony have plans of manufacturing and offering EVs by 2025 in select markets around the world, starting of course with the home base of Japan. The EV or EVs would be manufactured at Honda facility in Japan while Sony will help build the platform. What is not yet known is if the eventual model would be similar in any way to the Vision-S sedan and SUV that Sony had previously showcased in concept form.

But Sony had also clarified at the time - at CES 2020 - that it won't be manufacturing these vehicles and the eventual partnership with Honda is more than likely to give it a firm footing in the world of mobility that is seeing many consumer electronics companies - from Apple to Xiaomi - trying to create inroads.

For Honda, it could also be a potentially fruitful partnership because while it does offer a few all-electric models with Honda e being its most prominent, there is more room for the taking in the rivalry against other automotive players like Toyota, Volkswagen and even Tesla.