Honda, Sony aim to deliver premium EV with subscription fees in 2026 in U.S. and Japan
The Hindu
Yasuhide Mizuno, the joint venture's chairman and chief executive, and a senior Honda executive, said the project was important for Honda to develop a "longer-term relationship" with its car buyers
A joint venture set up by Japan's Sony Group Corp. and Honda Motor is aiming to deliver its first electric vehicles (EV) by 2026 and will sell them online, starting in the United States and Japan.
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The new EV will also be priced at a premium, offering a new software system developed by Sony that would open the way to recurring revenue from entertainment and other services that would be billed monthly, the companies said.
The update from the joint venture, Sony Honda Mobility, is the first since the two companies launched the project in June.
Key details, including pricing, battery range and even the platform for the new vehicle have not been determined, but representatives of the new company detailed a vision for a vehicle that would function almost like a rolling smartphone.
Sony will provide the software system for the new car, from the onboard controllers to cloud-based services that will connect with entertainment and payment systems.
It will also provide sensors and other technology for a Level 3 autonomous drive system that will allow for drivers to pay more attention to the content and software services that will be offered.