Sony and Honda partner to make electric vehicles, first EV expected in 2025
India Today
Sony and Honda have announced that the companies will be working together to produce new-age electric vehicles, with the latter being responsible for their manufacturing. Sony, meanwhile, will produce the mobility platform for the same.
Sony will be joining hands with Honda Motor to develop and sell battery-electric vehicles. For this, the firms have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and shared their plan to come up with the first electric vehicle under the joint venture by 2025.
Not many details have been shared on the new company as yet. Though it has been cleared that Honda, an automobile major with a substantial presence in India, will be responsible for the manufacturing of the new electric vehicle. Sony, with its expertise in new-age automobile technology, will come up with the mobility service platform, the companies said in their statement.
The statement mentions that the basic agreement is in place. As per that, "On March 4, Sony and Honda discussed and examined strategic alliances to create mobility and mobility services in a new era." Going forward, the companies will "discuss the conclusion of various legally binding final contracts." The goal is to establish the company within 2022 if the relevant regulatory approvals are received.
The distribution of roles will see the new joint venture "plan, design, develop, and sell the EVs." However, it is not expected to own any manufacturing facilities for the same, at least in the initial stages. These EVs will thus be produced at Honda's existing vehicle manufacturing plant. Sony, on the other hand, will produce a mobility service platform for the new company.
Honda will also share its experience in after-sales service management with the new venture. Meanwhile, Sony will extend its expertise in the "development and application of imaging, sensing, telecommunication, network, and entertainment technologies." All this will help it bring new automotive technologies to the EV, also addressing the sustainability and entertainment requirements of the vehicle.
The new joint venture comes as an extension to Sony's earlier plan to come up with a dedicated firm named Sony Mobility, which will pursue the development of electric vehicles and related technologies. The commercial launch of its planned EVs may now take place in partnership with Honda, thanks to the new joint venture between the two.
