Sony Honda: When Will Their First Electric Car Be Released?
This page is translated from the original post "Sony Honda : à quand leur première voiture électrique ?" in French.
- 15/10/2022 12:00
New to the automotive world, Sony will soon unveil its first electric car, developed in partnership with Honda.
On two occasions, Sony shook up the Las Vegas CES, the electronics show, with concept cars Vision-S. More than just technological showcases, these cars had a purpose: to find a partner for entry into the automotive sector, and Honda took the bait.
Three Ultra-Luxury Models
On March 4, 2022, Sony and Honda confirmed their partnership to manufacture electric vehicles. On June 16, the company was born: Sony Honda Mobility (SHM), with plans to launch the first model in 2025. However, a new statement this week clarified the schedule.
Firstly, Sony Honda confirms that the primary goal is to design “high value-added products and services, building new relationships with customers”. The electric cars will respond to these three keywords: Range, Enhanced, Affinity.
This remains somewhat vague, aside from Level 3 autonomous driving (on highways), but it is revealed that the onboard software will be integrated with the cloud, probably for regular remote updates, similar to BMW or Tesla. Entertainment options, likely from Sony (PlayStation games, Sony Pictures films, etc.), will also be plentiful onboard.
After-sales purchases will probably be part of it, a new market that many automakers are currently exploring, including Stellantis. Sony Honda also adds that customers will be able to participate in the development of some products.
The First Sony Honda Electric Car in 2026
The first vehicle will be revealed on January 4, 2023, at CES in Las Vegas. Most likely a prototype, it will showcase what the production version will look like. At minimum, we can expect a third concept following the 2020 sedan and 2022 SUV.
The series production model will begin accepting pre-orders “in the first half of 2025”, with sales starting at the end of that year. Production will only commence in 2026 in the United States, with first deliveries in spring within the country, followed by Japan in the second half of the year.
It is not yet planned to sell Sony Honda electric cars in Europe. But things could still change in the next three years.
Photos of Sony Car Concepts
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