Sony and Honda have signed a partnership to establish a company called ‘Sony Honda Mobility Inc.’ The new venture for the companies is set to build high-value-added electric vehicles and provide services for mobility.
The new venture will aim to incorporate Honda’s environmental and safety technologies, mobility development and vehicle body manufacturing technologies, along with Sony’s expertise in the development and application of imaging, network and entertainment technologies, to create a new generation of mobility and services for mobility that are closely aligned with the environment and users.
The joint project is set to start the sales of their first EV and provision of services for mobility in 2025 as Sony Honda Mobility Inc is set to be formed this year.
Kenichiro Yoshida, a representative from Sony Group Corporation has said: “Based on our vision to ‘make the mobility space an emotional one’, Sony’s initiatives in the mobility business are centered around the three areas of safety, entertainment and adaptability. As we continue our learnings in these areas, 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.”
He continues to say: “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 imagine, sensing, telecommunication, network and entertainment technologies”
Toshihiro Mibe,from Honda Motor Co has also commented saying: “Honda continues to take on new challenges in the environmental, safety, and other advanced fields in order to be a driving force for social change through mobility and become the power that supports the people around the world who are trying to do things based on their own initiative.”
He continues: “We are very pleased to have signed a joint venture with Sony, which has strengths in advanced technology, and shares our desire to take on new challenges.”
Sony has been making its ambition to build an EV quite apparent as they have shown their VISION-S concept EV at the last three CES conferences.
Sony’s presentations of their concept vehicles focus on their entertainment and software expertise, suggesting that they can provide better technology services than other automakers.
Sony Honda Mobility has also commented saying: “We are very pleased to sign this joint venture agreement, which represents the start line from which we embark on a major challenge of revolutionising mobility and creating new value.
“We plan to fully leverage the technological assets the two companies possess in different fields such as Sony’s sensing technology and Honda’s original mobility development capabilities, to realise mobility and services that inspire and excite our customers. By bringing together the expertise of both companies, we aim to lead the way in a new era”
