Sony Group Corporation (Sony) and Honda Motor Co., Ltd (Honda) recently announced they have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint venture to develop and sell "high value-added battery electric vehicles (EVs)."
This first model under this partnership is expected to be released in 2025.
Details on the Memorandum and Joint Venture
According to the companies' joint release on the matter, the memorandum of understanding consists of an agreement to "deepen discussion and exploration of forming a strategic alliance that aims to create a new era of mobility and mobility services."
The agreement also covers the two companies' intent to establish a new company through which they plan to engage in the development, sales, and commercialization of EVs in conjunction with providing mobility services.
This alliance between the two companies aims to bring together Honda's mobility development capabilities, vehicle body manufacturing technology, and after-sales service management experience with Sony's expertise in developing and applying imaging, sensing, telecommunication, network, and entertainment technologies.
Both companies agreed to the alliance to "realize a new generation of mobility and services that are closely aligned with users and the environment, and continue to evolve going forward."
Additionally, both companies expect that the new company that was formed from the joint venture would sell its first EV model that it has planned, designed, and developed.
Cars as Entertainment Spaces in the Future?
Whether this means Sony's vision of "cars as entertainment spaces" would be coming true in the future is still unknown.
An unnamed Sony executive previously revealed that Sony would likely add new partners to its EV project, the Vision-S initiative, to help it found a mobility business that transforms cars into entertainment spaces, per a Reuters report.
The Vision-S initiative is Sony's way of evolving cars from mobility vehicles to entertainment spaces.
To help realize its vision, Sony announced during CES 2022 that it created a new division called Sony Mobility Incorporated to accelerate its efforts in entering the EV market, per Tech Crunch.
This announcement was made when Sony revealed the second EV of the Vision-S initiative, the Vision-S 02, to the public.
According to Sony's presentation during the event and its previous release, the company would enter a new development phase that would focus on the Vision-S' safety, adaptability, and entertainment.
Company CEO Kenichiro Yoshida mentioned that the Vision-S EVs would feature 40 CMOS image sensors to monitor the car's safety, 5G connectivity, and entertainment systems, consisting of Sony's 360 reality audio, gaming capabilities, and BRAVIA Core.
The EVs' 5G connectivity feature also provides each passenger with personalization options to customize the cabin.
Currently, the Vision-S 01, the first EV in the Vision-S initiative, is being test-driven on public roads. There is no word of the Vision-S 02 since Sony's presentation at CES 2022.
Nonetheless, Kenichiro hopes that its alliance with Honda will allow Sony to build on its vision to "make the mobility space an emotional one," and contribute to the evolution of mobility centered around safety, entertainment, and adaptability.
"Sony's Purpose is to 'fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology," Kenichiro said.
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