The car manufacturer Honda and the electronics brand Sony will invest 10 billion yen ($74,083,950) in creating a new joint venture called Sony Honda Mobility Inc. Two Japanese companies have officially signed a deal to initiate a new partnership that will develop and sell electric vehicles in the next years.
The new company will be established in 2022 and will engage in the mutual development and sales of electric cars. The new vehicles by Sony Honda Mobility Inc. will be made marketable with the mobility services.
Sony has declared its Vision S 02 concept in Las Vegas
During the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas at the beginning of 2022, Sony has shown its Vision S 02 concept and declared that it aims to be an EV brand. The Vision S 02 concept is a seven-seat, 4.95-meter-long prototype SUV powered by an electric motor for a total of 563 hp with a 0-62 mph time of fewer than five seconds.
The images of the Vision S 02 have shown a similar interior design to the original Vision-S concept, with a full-width high-definition display instead of a conventional fascia, and headrest screens for second-row passengers. There’s also a rotary dial in the middle of the third row that will potentially allow those in the sixth and seventh seats to control audio or multimedia functions.
Honda produces EVs, Sony provides digital mobility
According to the confirmation of the new partnership, Honda with its expertise in production will plan, design, develop and sell new cars and Sony will provide digital services for a future mobility platform.
After the declaration of the new joint venture called Sony Honda Mobility Inc., Toshihiro Mibe, Director, President, Representative Executive Officer, and CEO of Honda Motor Co. said, “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.”
Kenichiro Yoshida, CEO of Sony added, “We are excited to have met a partner, Honda, with extensive global achievements and knowledge, and to sign the joint venture agreement between the two companies. 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.”
