Rumors about Apple entering the EV segment have been swirling around for years, but another tech giant will hop on the electric bandwagon first. We saw this coming considering Sony has already presented two concepts and announced plans to actively look for automotive partners. These searches have finally been materialized as Honda will be teaming up with the company behind the PlayStation.
“New Company” is the rather uninspiring name chosen for a joint venture expected to materialize by the end of 2022. Sony and Honda have agreed to develop and build EVs together, with the first car scheduled to hit the streets in 2025. Since it wouldn’t be feasible for the tech company to erect a factory to assemble the car, Honda will be in charge of production.
It’ll be interesting to see whether the first EV will be molded after the 2020 Vision-S 01 sedan or the 2022 Vision-S 02 SUV. Both concepts were presented in Las Vegas at CES as zero-emission models engineered in association with Magna Steyr, ZF, Bosch, and other important names in the automotive industry.
We do know the production-ready EV will benefit from a platform conceived by Sony, and it goes without saying Honda will have access to it as well. However, it’s too soon to say if the Japanese automaker will launch its own models based on the Sony-developed underpinnings. The two concepts we mentioned had a pair of electric motors packing well over 500 horsepower. Naturally, the SUV was the heavier of the two vehicles by tipping the scales at a hefty 2,480 kilograms (5,467 pounds).
Logic tells us the SUV has bigger chances of reaching production first what with more and more people moving away from the traditional sedan body style. The Vision-S 02 was likely conceived as a potential Tesla Model X and Mercedes EQS SUV rival by offering a spacious cabin configured with a three-row layout and seven seats.
If you’re wondering about their sizes, both shared a generous wheelbase measuring 3.03 meters (119.3 inches) and an overall length of 4.89 meters (192.7 inches). Obviously, the SUV was taller (65 vs 57.1 inches) and also a smidge wider (76 vs 74.8 inches). The sedan came equipped with 20-inch wheels whereas its high-riding equivalent sat on a larger 21-inch set. Both had AWD and an air suspension, with the sedan delivering better performance: 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.8 seconds en route to a maximum speed of 149 mph (240 km/h).
If these concepts are any indication, Sony will be taking the EV scene by storm.
Source: Honda
