Sony and Honda: Electric Vehicle Partnership
Sony and Honda have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the combined design and sale of electric vehicles.
The arrangement is not yet finalized, but the intention is to form a joint venture this year and begin selling automobiles by 2025.
Honda would design, manufacture, and market the initial model, while Sony would develop a mobility services platform.
The plan is to combine Honda's automotive manufacturing and sales expertise with Sony's competence in information and entertainment, mobile devices, and image sensors.
"While Sony and Honda have many historical and cultural connections, our technical knowledge is significantly different," stated Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe. "As a result, I believe that this agreement between our two organizations offers tremendous prospects for the future of mobility."
For Honda, the joint venture might aid in the company's objective of transitioning to all-electric vehicles by 2040. As of present, the business has one of the most limited electric vehicle portfolios of any automaker, with only one true EV available in the West, a cheap Honda E for the European market.
Sony described the collaboration as an endeavor to "fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology," which most likely implies high-tech interiors and high-tech entertainment systems that will make you forget you're stuck in rush hour traffic. He goes on to say that he wants to build a mobility system that is "centered on security, entertainment, and adaptability."
This news did not come as a complete surprise, as Sony has already demonstrated not one, but two electric vehicles of its own design, the Vision-S EV and the Vision-S 02 electric SUV. The Vision-S was almost a showroom for all the benefits Sony could provide when it initially debuted, with 33 separate sensors enabling 360 Reality Audio technology, widescreen displays, autonomous driving, and other capabilities.
Sony had pledged to launch a new company named Sony Mobility this spring, but it appears that an agreement with Honda will take its place, according to Engadget.
Volvo is testing EV wireless charging technology live in an urban environment
Volvo has launched a three-year trial in which its Volvo XC40 Recharge EV will be utilized by Swedish taxi operator Cab online and wirelessly charged at stations in major cities around Sweden, beginning in Gothenburg.
"Testing novel charging methods with carefully selected partners is an excellent way to examine alternative charging choices for our future automobiles," said Mats Moberg, Volvo's head of research and development.
Momentum Dynamics will develop and build the system's technology. It employs charging "pads" embedded in the asphalt that charge the electric vehicle while it is parked.
The substrate has the capability of delivering "greater than 40kW" to a tailored automobile receiver unit. According to Volvo, this results in a charging time that is "four times faster" than an 11 kW AC charger.
To optimize charging, park the automobile slightly above the charging plate. When parking above the base, custom XC40 Recharge cars use Volvo's 360-degree video technology to aid alignment.
This is not the first time wireless car charging technology has been tested in the world. BMW has also done similar testing, and the British government supported a six-month pilot plan worth 3.4 million pounds in 2020, under which a taxi stand in Nottingham, England could be replaced with customized taxi vehicles as passengers waited.
