TOKYO — Japanese electronics and entertainment giant Sony announced Friday that it will partner with Honda to develop electric cars that will be on sale as early as 2025.
Demand for electric cars is small but booming as concerns about climate change and stricter emissions standards push consumers into the market. But Japanese companies have lagged behind their competitors in developing the vehicles, and are now trying to catch up with fast-growing automakers like Tesla and traditional rivals like GM, which has pledged to go all-electric by 2035.
Sony, a leader in digital sensors and imaging technology, announced its ambition to enter the auto market in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, unveiling a prototype SUV that will allow passengers to play video games made for the PlayStation 5. console.
But rather than designing its own cars, the company has chosen to partner with a traditional automaker to avoid the pitfalls encountered by other tech companies that have tried to make their own vehicles from scratch. Sony and Honda said in their announcement that they planned to start a new company this year that would produce cars at Honda’s factories.
The agreement is expected to give Sony access to Honda’s industry expertise and to its global network of dealers and aftermarket service providers. Honda will have access to the technology essential to implement features such as autonomous driving, as well as Sony’s wealth of entertainment options.
That will be crucial as the companies look to compete with better-established electric vehicle manufacturers, as well as powerful tech companies, such as Apple, who want to put their own spin on electric cars.
Honda previously announced plans to make a number of other all-electric cars, including at least two in partnership with GM for the US market.
