Sony and Honda said they are cooperating to develop and sell battery electric vehicles, and said they are open to other partners.
The companies said in a statement that they form a joint venture this year and aim to start selling the first model in 2025. Honda is responsible for manufacturing the first model, while Sony is developing the mobility service platform, they said.
“Through the joint venture, we would like to lead the evolution of mobility by combining our technology and expertise with Honda’s long experience in developing mobility and auto body manufacturing technologies,” said Kenichiro Yoshida, CEO of Sony.
During a press conference in Tokyo, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mbei said that although he is not considering an immediate public offering of the joint venture. But he will not dismiss it as among the options for the development of the company.
Asked if the partnership between the two companies is exclusive, Mibe said they are open to bringing in other companies while they want to focus on developing an electric car model for now.
Sony and Honda plan to make electric cars together
“In the future, we would like to expand our business with an open mindset,” said Mibe, adding that Honda continues to develop its electric vehicle strategy separately from the joint venture.
The announcement comes as Sony seeks to further its ambitions to become a major player in next-generation cars.
It also comes at a time when Honda is under pressure to make carbon-neutral cars as well as vehicles equipped with features that go beyond traditional transportation.
The adoption of electric cars offers opportunities for technology companies to join the car market. These vehicles are easier to manufacture than cars with internal combustion engines.
Tech companies face challenges in meeting stringent vehicle safety regulations. In addition to making cars able to withstand difficult driving conditions at times.
Yoshida in January announced a plan to create a new company, Sony Mobility, saying it was exploring a commercial launch of electric vehicles.
Although its dominant position in consumer electronics has been eroded by Asian competitors. But Sony still has an arsenal of cutting-edge technologies in areas such as biosensors for autonomous driving.
Sony has indicated its intentions to enter the automotive world for a while. But this marks its first concrete move into the commercial industry.
At CES 2020, the company presented the concept of the electric vehicle called Vision-S, and followed it up at CES 2022 with the Vision-S 02.
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