Honda and Sony announced Wednesday that they would be teaming up on an electric vehicle that will feature digital innovations such as connection to the metaverse.
In a press release, the companies described their electric vehicle concept as encompassing “the 3A’s for Autonomy, Augmentation, and Affinity. Cutting-edge technologies will be applied to realize the 3A’s.” The augmentation part will be fulfilled by “exploring new entertainment possibilities through digital innovations such as the metaverse.”
The electric vehicle has yet to be named or displayed, with plans to accept preorders in 2025 and begin sales at the end of that year, according to a press conference. Deliveries are set for the United States in the first half of 2026. Meanwhile, both companies’ home country of Japan will see deliveries in the second half of that year.
GENERAL MOTORS AND HONDA TEAM UP TO MAKE ‘AFFORDABLE’ ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Honda announced Tuesday that it would build a battery plant in Fayette County, Ohio, in partnership with LG Energy Solution of South Korea, with a projected total investment from both companies of $4.4 billion. This will also result in over 2,000 new jobs in its electric vehicle industry alone. It is still unclear if the cars with the metaverse compatibility will be built in the Ohio plant, as the companies claimed they would be built in the North American plant.
The cars will also feature “Level 3” automated driving skills, which are not yet legal in the U.S., as they can accelerate around surrounding cars without the driver’s supervision. Honda has already sold the very first cars with a Level 3 traffic jam assistance system in 2021.
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Sony Honda Mobility, the joint venture behind the new vehicles, was created in June. Sony had already announced a prototype sports utility vehicle that could connect to a PlayStation remotely in January.
