Honda dealers in the U.S. are servicing, but not selling, a new wave of electric vehicles from the company’s new joint venture with Sony. This is the message from Honda executives at the head office in Japan.
Speaking during the company’s earnings call on Wednesday, CFO Kohei Takeuchi said the sales model would be completely new, echoing early talk of an online approach. “It will be something new, not Sony, not Honda,” he said.
Honda dealers can service Sony-Honda EVs
Sony and Honda announced the formation of a joint venture earlier this year to jointly develop electric vehicles, where Sony will be responsible for the mobility platform and Honda for manufacturing. This will result in a new company launching its first electric vehicles in the US market in 2026.
Oddly enough, the EVs that Sony Honda Mobility eventually produces (or, if it produces any at all) will not wear a Honda badge — or Sony lettering, for that matter; it’s not like prospective buyers of these EVs will be able to bring their cars to Best Buy or the local big box. Even though EVs need less maintenance than their ICE-equipped counterparts, electric cars still require periodic service.
On a call to discuss Honda’s financial results, CFO Kohei Takeuchi claimed that the Honda-Sony sales model would be novel for the automaker. That could mean online, direct-to-consumer sales, and Takeuchi noted that the sales process would be entirely new for both Honda and Sony. He also said the companies are still hashing out the sales and service details but feel that the existing dealer network is well-positioned to step in for service needs.
The CFO added that the future plans surrounding sales and service are still up in the air, but he feels Honda’s large US dealer network is totally equipped to be able to service the Sony-Honda EVs. Honda has over 1,000 US dealers, and many already service plug-ins. While Honda hasn’t made a notable EV push yet, it’s certainly not a complete stranger to electric cars.
Honda and Sony plan to produce their first EVs in North America at an upcoming facility in Ohio under the name Sony Honda Mobility Inc. The first vehicles are due to arrive in the spring of 2026. Honda has already teased the first Sony Honda Mobility EV, which will make its official debut at CES in Las Vegas in 2023.
