Sony Honda Mobility (SHM), the new electric automaker being created by the two brands, will build its first car in the U.S, it announced on Thursday.
The joint venture will start production and deliveries of the vehicle in early 2026, with exports to Japan following later in the year.
The company didn't say exactly where manufacturing will take place, but Honda last week revealed a $4.4 billion plan to establish electric vehicle and battery production in Ohio that is scheduled to begin in 2026.
Pricing, specifications and the design of the vehicle have not yet been revealed, but it will combine infotainment and safety tech developed by Sony with a Honda vehicle platform.
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Izumi Kawanishi is the president and chief operating officer of Sony Honda Mobility Inc. (Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"SHM aims to evolve mobility space into entertainment and emotional space, by seamlessly integrating real and virtual worlds, and exploring new entertainment possibilities through digital innovations such as the metaverse," the company said.
Prototype vehicles designed by Sony offer a preview of what the production car may look like. (Sony)
The car is being developed with Level 3 autonomous driving capability that will rely on sensors made by Sony and allow the car to control itself under certain clearly defined conditions.
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The Sony prototypes are equipped with an array of infotainment system displays. (Sony)
The human-machine interface is being designed to provide "entertainment beyond driving."
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Honda will also be launching the U.S.-built Prologue SUV in 2024. The vehicle is a collaboration with General Motors that uses GM's Ultium electric platform, which debuted with the Cadillac Lyriq and GMC Hummer EV.