FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
On March 5, the Sony Group unveiled its prototype EV “VISION-S” SUV to the public for the first time in Japan. The vehicle brings together Sony’s strengths in sensor, audio, and video technologies. On March 4, Sony announced a partnership with Honda, and the two companies will jointly develop EVs through a new company in which both companies will invest, with the aim of launching the EVs in 2025.
Following a sedan-type prototype announced in 2020, Sony unveiled an SUV at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a digital technology trade show held in the U.S. in January 2022.
The side mirrors will have no mirrored surfaces and will use images and data collected from nearly 40 sensors, including those in the front and rear of the vehicle, to enhance safety. The dashboard has three displays that can show movies and other content in addition to driving information. Inside the car, Sony’s audio technology is used to provide a realistic music experience.
VISION-S was developed by a team that has worked on the “Aibo” dog-shaped robot. Sony and Honda will establish a joint venture company this year to develop another EV with the aim of launching the first model in 2025. The brand name and other details have not yet been decided. The new company will be responsible for sales, and manufacturing will be outsourced to Honda.
Source: The Nikkei
PSR Analysis: When Sony unveiled the VISION-S Prototype concept EV at CES 2020, the company said it was only a concept model and would not be mass-produced, but this model, presented under the Sony brand, attracted a great deal of attention. The VISION-S 02 presented at CES2022 is the second version, and is backed by the popularity of SUVs, which has become a global trend.
Furthermore, in the field of communication technology, Sony has partnered with a company under the Vodafone umbrella and is also looking at network communications compatible with 5G. Simply put, Sony is quite serious about developing mobility.
Sony and Honda began discussing collaboration last December and established a joint venture company in February. This was a very fast move, given that conventional Japanese companies tend to take a long period of time to consider the possibility of a partnership. This reflects the fast-changing mobility industry.
For Honda, this is a collaboration in the Vision-S project to explore new forms of mobility and does not represent a fundamental shift in the EV strategy that the company has been pursuing. However, Honda has much to gain from working with Sony, which has been refining its sensor and radar technologies. For Sony, it will also gain knowledge for manufacturing safe and long-lasting automobiles. Honda has already stated that all new car sales will be EVs or fuel cell vehicles by 2040.
As I have said in the past, automakers will not survive this upheaval simply by continuing to do things the way they have always done them. There have been many reports of companies from other industries entering the automotive industry, and we await further news on how the collaboration between Sony and Honda, whose brands have a high name value worldwide, will be brought to the market. PSR
Akihiro Komuro is Research Analyst, Far East and Southeast Asia, for Power Systems Research
