Sony and Honda of Japan have agreed to collaborate on the development and sale of battery-powered electric cars (BEVs), the two firms said on Friday. The joint venture has not yet been created; the corporations have signed agreements outlining their intention to create it later in 2022.
Sony has released the idea of combining Honda's car building process and the expertise of Sony in the fields of sensing, imaging, network, telecommunication, and entertainment technologies.
According to the Since Independence report, the first model should be launched in 2025 from this new venture.
The comments from Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida and Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe concentrate on the synergies between the two firms, which is made possible by their typically different focus.
"Although Sony and Honda have many historical and cultural commonalities, our areas of technological specialization are vastly different. As a result, I think that this combination, which brings together the assets of our two firms, provides exciting prospects for the future of mobility "Mibe announced in a statement.
"Through this collaboration with Honda, we hope to expand on our goal of making the mobility space emotional,' and contribute to the evolution of mobility based on safety, entertainment, and flexibility," Yoshida said in a statement.
Notably, Yoshida revealed in January a proposal to establish a new firm, Sony Mobility, concentrating on electric cars, and the company even displayed a prototype electric SUV. The new venture will most likely expand on or replace that plan.
Honda, on the other hand, was formerly primarily focused on hydrogen-powered electric vehicles, but its Clarity sedan failed to gain traction in the face of a global shift toward BEVs and was canceled in 2021. The Clarity lineup also offered a battery-powered electric version and hybrid variations, both of which were discontinued. Honda said in April 2021 that it intends to transition entirely to electric vehicles by 2040. The Prologue, the company's first internationally available BEV, is expected to be on sale in 2024.
Tesla, who is known as an electric car giant will face the new Sony and Honda electric car invention. Sony has access to Honda's decades of experience in automotive manufacturing, sales, and service, while Honda may profit from Sony's expertise in entertainment, connectivity, and autonomous vehicle sensors.
Elon Musk stated in October that Tesla will most likely begin constructing the Cybertruck by the end of 2022, with full production beginning in 2023. In November, he stated that he will provide an update on the Cybertruck soon next year.