Honda And Sony Announce Name Of New EV Company

In March, it was revealed that Honda would work with tech giant Sony for the development of electric cars. At that point, the two companies had signed a memorandum of understanding for a strategic alliance, including establishing a joint venture called the New Company. The relationship has deepened since then, with Honda now announcing it has signed a joint venture agreement under the name Sony Honda Mobility Inc., combining the two brands' expertise.

The new company will be established this year and the sale of EVs will begin in 2025. It continues a trend of several tech powerhouses breaking into the automotive space over the last few years.

"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," said Toshihiro Mibe, CEO of Honda. "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."

Sony's knowledge of entertainment technologies, sensing, telecommunication, and imaging will be a big boost for Honda with its mobility development capabilities. It could give Honda the push it needs to speed up slow EV adoption, and give it an advantage over domestic rivals Nissan and Toyota.

Presently, Honda has exactly zero EVs for sale in the United States and only a few hybrids like the CR-V Hybrid and Accord Hybrid. Neither Honda nor Sony mentioned any specifications of the EVs that will arrive in 2025, but we expect them to play host to many modern technologies.

Also in March, Honda trademarked no less than nine EV names - from e:Ny1 to e:Ny9 - likely covering everything from compact crossovers to large sedans. Several concepts unveiled by the Japanese automaker last year point to much bolder design themes, and three platforms: front-, rear-, and all-wheel drive. These forward-thinking concepts could lay the groundwork for the Honda-Sony partnership over the next couple of years.