► New company gets a name
► Should use EV tech from Honda
► And infotainment tech shown in the Sony Vision S
Sony and Honda are building EVs, and they’ve created a new company to do it. Called Sony Honda Mobility Inc, the company will fuse Honda’s automotive know-how with Sony’s imaging, sensing, network and entertainment tech. Add that all together, and SHM should be well equipped for where the automotive industry is heading.
Read more about the Sony Honda Afeela
‘Sony’s initiatives in the mobility business are centered around the three areas of safety, entertainment and adaptability,’ said Sony Group CEO Kenichiro Yoshida. ‘Going forward, we aim to contribute to the evolution of mobility by combining Honda’s cutting-edge environmental and safety technologies, mobility development capabilities, vehicle body manufacturing technology and after-sales service management experience, with our expertise in imaging, sensing, telecommunication, network and entertainment technologies.’
‘We are very pleased to have signed a joint venture agreement with Sony, which has strengths in advanced digital technology, and shares our desire to take on new challenges,’ added Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe. ‘At the new company, we will strive to create new value through the fusion brought about by the combination of our different industries, so please look forward to future developments.’
Production plans
The company plans to produce EVs by 2025, and it’ll kick off with the Afeela shown above, and revealed at CES 2023 in Las Vegas. Largely based on the Vision S shown solely by Sony not long before, it’s a showcase for Sony’s interior and autonomous technology – as well as Honda’s own powertrain and manufacturing capabilities.
‘The new company,’ Honda CEO Mibe said, ‘will aim to stand at the forefront of innovation, evolution and expansion of mobility around the world, by taking a broad and amitious approach… We will do so by leveraging Honda’s cutting-edge technology and know-how in relation to the environment and safety, while aligning the technological assets of both companies.
‘I believe this alliance which brings together the strengths of our two companies offers great possibilities for the future of mobility.’
What about Honda?
Honda’s own EV ambitions seem less clear: the Honda E was a design success though now lacks the range and value to really compete. However, CAR understands that the Sony Honda Mobility venture will run in parallel to Honda’s own EV plans.
The two companies are also said to be open to bringing in new partners.