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Sony and Honda intend to collaborate on the development of electric vehicles
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The first model is scheduled to be released in 2025.
Sony and Honda intend to form a new company to jointly design and sell electric vehicles. The venture has not yet been finalized, but the two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding outlining their intentions. The new company, which has yet to be named, is expected to be formed this year, with sales of the first EV model scheduled for 2025.
The first model will be manufactured by Honda, with the new company handling vehicle design, development, and sales, and Sony developing a mobility service platform. The collaboration aims to combine Honda's expertise in car manufacturing and marketing with Sony's capabilities in image sensors, telecommunications, and entertainment.
Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida says in a statement, "Sony's purpose is to 'fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology." "Through this alliance with Honda, which has amassed 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 of'making the mobility space an emotional one,' and contribute to the evolution of mobility centered on safety, entertainment, and adaptability."
"The New Company will aim to stand at the forefront of global mobility innovation, evolution, and expansion by taking a broad and ambitious approach to creating value that exceeds customers' expectations and imagination," says Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe. "We will do so by leveraging Honda's cutting-edge technology and know-how in terms of the environment and safety, as well as aligning both companies' technological assets." Despite the fact that Sony and Honda share many historical and cultural similarities, our areas of technological expertise are vastly different. As a result, I believe that this alliance, which brings together the strengths of our two companies, offers exciting prospects for the future of mobility."
Sony has been indicating its intention to enter the automotive industry for some time, but this is the company's first concrete move into the commercial sector. Sony debuted an electric concept car called the Vision-S at CES 2020, and followed it up with the Vision-S 02. Sony announced plans at the time to establish an operating company called Sony Mobility by the spring of 2022; it appears that the new Honda partnership has rendered that idea obsolete.
