 |
| Sony and Honda collaborate to develop electric cars |
Sony and Honda said they would work together to develop and sell battery electric vehicles and said they were open to other partners.
The companies said in a statement that they will establish a joint venture this year with the goal of starting sales of the first model in 2025. Honda is responsible for building the first model, while Sony is developing a mobile service platform.
"Through the joint venture, we hope to lead the evolution of mobility by combining our technology and expertise with Honda's long experience in developing mobility and chassis technologies," said Kenichiro Yoshida, CEO of Sony.
At a press conference in Tokyo, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mbei said he did not see an immediate public offering from the joint venture. But he will not see it as one of the options for growing the business.
When asked if the partnership between the two companies is exclusive, Mibe said they are open to involving other companies because they wanted to focus on developing electric car models for the time being.
Sony and Honda want to build electric cars together
"We hope to be open to expanding our business in the future," said Mibe, adding that Honda will continue to develop its electric vehicle strategy independently of the joint venture.
The announcement comes as Sony looks to continue pursuing its ambition to become a major player in the next generation of cars.
It also comes at a time when Honda is under pressure to build carbon-neutral cars and cars with features that go beyond traditional transportation.
The introduction of electric cars provides technology companies with an opportunity to enter the car market. These vehicles are easier to build than cars with an internal combustion engine.
Tech companies are struggling to comply with strict vehicle safety rules. It also makes the car able to withstand difficult driving conditions at times.
Yoshida announced plans to start a new company, Sony Mobile, in January and said it was exploring commercial adoption of electric vehicles.
Although its dominance in consumer electronics has been undermined by its Asian competitors. But Sony still has the latest technology in areas such as standalone biosensors.
Sony has been indicating its intentions to enter the automotive business for some time. But this is his first step into the commercial industry.
The company demonstrated an electric vehicle concept called the Vision-S at CES 2020 and presented the Vision-S 02 at CES 2022.