NEW YORK, June 10 — In March, the two Japanese corporations announced the creation of a joint venture dedicated to the production of electric cars. It now appears that this entity could launch as a completely separate, independent company, which could give rise to a whole new car brand.

As part of this new brand, Honda and Sony would share roles and pool expertise. Unsurprisingly, Honda is likely to be in charge of the production of the car platform and engine, while Sony would develop all the driving aids and associated software. The goal is to have a first vehicle on the market by 2025.

For the moment, the only 100 per cent electric model released by the Japanese car-maker is a small city car called the Honda e. In 2023, an SUV should follow — a variation of the e:Ny1 concept. In this respect, Honda appears to be behind many of its competitors when it comes to all-electric vehicles.

At the beginning of the year, Sony presented a new SUV concept car at the CES consumer technology show in Las Vegas, following a first prototype that is still being tested on the road. This Vision-S 02 is a seven-seater SUV equipped with numerous LiDAR (laser scanning) sensors, the car’s internal system is capable of analysing its immediate environment in real time and offering autonomous driving possibilities in certain situations. Sony also announces that this vehicle can receive remote updates to quickly gain functionality and improve safety. These are all assets that should enable this joint venture to develop a first car that is competitive in terms of autonomous driving.

Sony will also be able to contribute its expertise as an entertainment specialist, for example by developing speakers directly integrated into the seats for truly immersive audio experiences. At CES, Sony even suggested that it might one day be possible to play PlayStation games on board, on the various screens available to passengers, via a remote connection to a home console.

On paper, this alliance could represent a credible Japanese alternative to Tesla. — ETX Studio