Sony and Honda have signed a memorandum of understanding to design and market electric vehicles together, the companies announced. The deal isn't final, but the aim is to establish a joint venture this year and start selling vehicles by 2025.

Honda would design, manufacture and market the first model, with Sony creating the mobility service platform. The idea is to marry Honda's car building and sales chops with Sony's infotainment, mobile and image sensor expertise. 

"Although Sony and Honda are companies that share many historical and cultural similarities, our areas of technological expertise are very different," said Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe. "Therefore, I believe this alliance which brings together the strengths of our two companies offers great possibilities for the future of mobility."

For Honda, the joint venture might help it achieve its goal of shifting its entire lineup to EVs by 2040. As it stands now, the company has one of the sparsest EV lineups of any automaker, with its only true EV sold in the west being the nichey, Europe-only Honda E.

Sony pitched the partnership as a bid to "fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology." That likely means you can expect high-tech interiors and fancy entertainment systems designed to help you forget that you're stuck in rush-hour traffic. It added that it wants to create a mobility system "centered around safety, entertainment and adaptability."

The news doesn't come as a complete shock, as Sony has already showed not just one but two electric vehicles of its own design, the Vision-S EV and Vision-S 02 electric SUV. When it first appeared, the Vision-S was a showcase for all of Sony's strengths, packing 33 different sensors for 360 Reality Audio tech, wide-screen displays, autonomous driving and other features. Sony promised to debut a new company called Sony Mobility sometime this spring, but it looks like the Honda alliance will serve that purpose instead.

Much as Hyundai did yesterday, Kia has announced an electrification roadmap at its 2022 Investor Day, promising to have 14 fully electric models by 2027 and sales of 1.2 million EVs by 2030. It also revealed that its EV9 SUV, unveiled in concept form last November at the LA Auto Show, will be the first to use autonomous driving tech it calls "Automode." 

Kia's roadmap builds on its "Plan S" development strategy announced early in 2021 that included new branding and a plan to introduce of seven EVs by 2027. Now, the company plans to double that with 14 BEV (battery electric vehicle) models available by 2027 and total EV sales of 1.2 million by 2030. It also projects to sell 4 million vehicles annually by 2030, so EVs would make up just over a quarter of that — while automakers like Mercedes-Benz plan to only sell BEVs by 2030. 

The strategy is still ambitious, as it's starting with 160,000 BEV sales this year and plans to ramp that up by five times to 807,000 units in 2026 and 1.2 million by 2030. To hit those targets, Kia will introduce at least two new electric vehicles per year. A couple of those will be electric pickup trucks, including a "dedicated electric pickup truck and a strategic model for emerging markets," the company said. 

Kia

In the near term, Kia plans to launch its flagship electric vehicle, the EV9 SUV, by 2023. The concept version it teased last year had squared-off Range Rover-ish lines, a massive 27-inch display and a Tesla-like yoke instead of a steering wheel. Kia now says that it will be around 5 meters long, accelerate to 100 km/h (62 MPH) in five seconds, and travel 540 km (340 miles) on a charge — while giving you an extra 100 km of range with just six minutes of charging. 

The EV9 will also offer over the air (OTA) and FoD (feature on demand) services for the first time, allowing owners to easily update their vehicle's software. "In addition, it will be the first model to be equipped with Kia’s advanced AutoMode autonomous driving technology," it said. Automode will be "rapidly expanded" throughout its lineup after that.

What is Automode, you might ask? All we know so far is that it's "a range of autonomous driving technologies" that will include a "Highway Driving Pilot" feature that works by itself without driver intervention on highway sections. It will also be improved as the technology develops via wireless updates. It sounds like at least Level 3 self-driving, something still only available from a few automakers, so we'll have to see how that goes for Kia. 

In its press release, Kia offers more details about how and where it plans to sell EVs, PHEVs, and hybrid models around the world. However, it has already overhauled its plans substantially just over the past year, and is likely to do so again. Given the early success (2,126 units sold in February) and generally glowing reviews of the EV6, Kia has reason to be confident about future EV plans. 

Ford is determined to compete against electric vehicle rivals like Tesla and Rivian, and it's willing to reorganize the company to improve its chances. The brand is splitting its car manufacturing business into separate EV-only and internal combustion engine (ICE) divisions to help it fight both "new EV competitors" and conventional challengers. The electric unit, Model e, is meant to speed up large-scale development of EVs while producing connected vehicle technology for all of Ford. Effectively, the badge hopes to edge closer to the fast-moving, tech-driven cultures of its EV-only competitors.

The ICE division, Ford Blue, will concentrate on "relentlessly attacking" costs, improving quality and streamlining operations to help turn a profit. Blue will supply hardware-focused engineering and manufacturing to the rest of the company.

Company chief Jim Farley will serve as president of Model e. Apple and Tesla veteran Doug Field, who joined Ford in September 2021, will lead the unit's development as its Chief EV and Digital Systems Officer.

The split, part of a larger Ford+ strategy, isn't a complete surprise. Ford EVs like the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning have seen strong early demand, but Tesla still dominates the US electric market with deliveries of over 1 million cars last year. The move theoretically helps Ford catch up to or surpass Tesla while keeping ICE cars viable — at least, until ICE is phased out.

This approach also mirrors EV-focused strategy changes at some of Ford's mainstream competitors. GM already plans to become EV-only by 2035, while Stellantis unveiled a "Dare Forward" plan that will see EVs lead sales in Europe and the US by 2030. Even Hyundai was rumored to have stopped developing new combustion engines, although it denied the claim. Electric cars are taking priority across the industry, and Ford doesn't want to risk being left behind.

Hyundai plans to release 17 full electric vehicle models by 2030 as part of its efforts to strengthen its lineup and to catch up to rival automakers. The company's CEO Jaehoon Chang has made the announcement when he unveiled Hyundai's electrification roadmap in an investor presentation. Out of 17, 11 models will be under the main Hyundai brand, while 6 will be released under its Genesis luxury brand. 

The automaker announced last year that Genesis will switch to electric powertrains completely by 2025, though at the time, it said that it expects to have eight EV models available for sale in 2030. Chang's latest announcement includes more concrete details about Hyundai's electrification plans. He said the company is investing 19.4 trillion won ($16.08 billion) in its EV-related endeavors, including setting up more manufacturing plants with the capability to produce EVs. The automaker is also aiming to capture a 7 percent market share in the global EV market and to sell 1.87 million electric vehicle units per year by 2030.

The company has yet to reveal the exact models it's releasing within the next eight years, but it did say that three of them are sedans, six are SUVs, one is a light commercial vehicle, while the last one is a new vehicle type. The first release will most likely be the IONIQ 6, an all-electric sedan that will be available for purchase this year. In 2024, Hyundai will be releasing the IONIQ 7, as well. 

While $16.08 billion is a considerable investment, analysts told Reuters that it's in in no way "aggressive" when compared to the commitments made by some rival companies. Toyota, for instance, plans to invest 8 trillion yen ($70 billion) for its electrification projects by 2030, while GM had earmarked $35 billion for its EV and automated vehicle investments from 2020 through 2025.

With the Polestar 2 already in production, Polestars 3 and 4 on the horizon and the Precept concept slated to become the Polestar 5 in 2024, Polestar the company has just unveiled its latest electrified vehicle idea: the Polestar O2 convertible concept.

Polestar

“Polestar O2 is our vision of a new era for sports cars," Polestar’s Head of Design, Maximilian Missoni, said in a Tuesday press statement. "By mixing the joy of open top driving with the purity of electric mobility, it unlocks a new mix of emotions in a car."

The O2 will reportedly be built upon the same "bespoke" bonded aluminum unibody platform that the company is using for the Polestar 5, and generally resemble the Precept concept design it is derived from which, according to Polestar PR, "shows how Polestar’s evolving design language can be adapted to different body styles with a strong family resemblance." That is, while the Polestar 5 will be a high-performance four-door grand touring vehicle, the O2 will offer a more compact, 2+2 sportscar feel, despite both being built on the same basic underpinnings.

Polestar

Now, you might be wondering how a convertible EV would even work given that traditional convertibles are rather inefficient — their frames are thicker and heavier to offset the structural strength lost by cutting off the roof and their aerodynamics are a mess because, again, no roof — and that is an excellent question. The company doesn't yet have drag coefficient data to share, but it did assert that "disguised design features like integrated ducts that improve laminar air flow over the wheels and body sides, and rear lights that function as air blades to reduce turbulence behind the car," are being investigated to maximize the vehicle's range.

With a shorter wheelbase and only an afterthought of rear seats, the O2 offers a sportier, more aggressive stance than the Polestar 2. And those wheels! The exterior is a study of sharp lines with a low-slung cabin seated between angular fender flares and an acutely angled glass-top roof that retracts back into a broad trunk. It looks like if you mashed up a Ford F40 with a Porsche 718 Spyder and then flattened out all the curves. It looks like a roadster you'd see on the streets of Los Santos. I am a fan.

Polestar

The interior sounds equally supple, featuring a "thermoplastic mono-material" throughout for the hard bits, paired with recycled polyester as "the sole material used for all the soft components." Because nothing beats the seat-squelching experience of sitting on polyester and plastic in full sun with the roof down. 

Polestar

Drivers will also be able to film their top-down adventures thanks to the O2's integrated cinematography drone. Developed in collaboration with Hoco Flow, this autonomous camera drone rides in an area of negative pressure generated from an airfoil deployed behind the rear seats. The drone can follow along at speeds up to 56 MPH and the captured footage can subsequently be edited and shared from the central infotainment system once the vehicle is parked. I mean, personally, I'd prefer an eATV or even an electric skateboard if automakers are going to bundle in secondary transports with their vehicle offerings, but sure, a camera drone will definitely remain cool and novel and useful after the first couple flights. I mean, just look at how well they turned out for the Renault KWID or the Lexus LF-30 Electric Concept. 

Polestar

Like the Precept, we won't likely see street legal O2 as it is now. Instead, Polestar plans to launch three new cars over the coming three years, "each of which has potential to gradually realize some of the ideas presented by these concept cars," so keep an eye out for low-flying drones. 

Stellantis isn't just leaning on a Chrysler concept to define its EV future. As part of a new "Dare Forward 2030" strategic plan, the automaker has unveiled the first all-electric Jeep SUV. The company didn't provide specifications or even a name, but the Jeep EV launches in early 2023 and appears to be relatively compact like the Compass. Autoblognotes Jeep might be using the STLA Small platform that supports up to an 82kWh battery and 300 miles of range.

More is coming in 2024. You'll find a more off-road oriented model and a "lifestyle family" SUV in 2024. Jeep won't be alone, either, as Ram will release an electric ProMaster van in 2023 and 1500 pickup truck (shown at middle) the following year.

Stellantis

The cautious rollout leaves Stellantis behind Ford, GM and other incumbent brands that already have multiple EVs either on the road or coming this year. That's not including electric-only badges like Tesla or Rivian. To date, the company has focused on either converted cars like the Fiat 500e or its 4xe plug-in hybrids.

The new machines and Stellantis' new plan might help with that, though. Under Dare Forward, the brand hopes to sell five million EVs in 2030. That's enough to completely replace its European passenger car sales, and half of all passenger cars and trucks in the US. There will be over 25 EVs aimed at American buyers. It's just a matter of whether or not the brand can make up for lost time, particularly with rivals like GM already planning to eliminate combustion passenger vehicle sales.

Toyota has reportedly halted vehicle production at all its plants in Japan following a cyberattack against a major supplier, Nikkei has reported. "Due to a system failure at a domestic supplier (Kojima Industries Corporation), we have decided to suspend the operation of 28 lines at 14 plants in Japan on Tuesday, March 1st," Toyota wrote on its global website. 

Kojima supplies both exterior and interior parts, including components used in its air-conditioning system and steering wheel. The parts weren't affected but Kojima was reportedly unable to communicate with Toyota or monitor production. The issue affected Toyota's "just in time" manufacturing system that requires parts be delivered just before they're installed so they don't have to be stocked. 

Toyota didn't mention a cyberattack on its website, but Kojima confirmed the issue. "It is true that we have been hit by some kind of cyberattack. We are still confirming the damage and we are hurrying to respond, with the top priority of resuming Toyota's production system as soon as possible," a Kojima official told Nikkei. 

Two other Toyota partners were reportedly hit, including truck manufacturer Hino Motors and Daihatsu Motor. The origins of the cyberattack, type of malware and other details have not been revealed. Toyota didn't say when it expects to restart the manufacturing lines, but the Japanese government is reportedly involved in the investigation. 

A new wave of 5G-enabled cars are headed our direction. Audi is the latest automaker to announce it will offer 5G connectivity in select models of future cars. The German manufacturer announced today that select models of Audi vehicles, beginning in 2024, will be able to connect to Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network. 

Drivers of the new Audi 5G lineup can expect a host of new features, including higher speeds to download or stream entertainment, an improved in-car navigation system with 3D mapping, cloud-based user-profiles and even the (arguably dangerous) ability to buy things in your car.

Just note that drivers will likely need to pay a subscription to access Audi's 5G in-car services. While Audi didn't disclose how much a 5G subscription would cost, the current Function On-Demand plan with 4G in-car WiFi and navigation is $849 a year on most models. 

The new 5G vehicles will also build on Audi’s current crop of in-car connected services, including information on traffic lights and low-latency road alerts. This will likely mean an even faster and more detailed version of what Audi’s 4G-enabled cars already offer. We’ve already seen current Audi models that offer integrated payment for toll roads and will alert drivers when they’re near a school bus, cyclists, road crews and other obstacles.

Audi’s 5G cars will also be equipped with mobile edge computing, which likely means better autonomous driving features since the cars will be able to react to data instantly. The tech industry has pushed for mobile edge computing on cars as a way to improve the safety of AV features. Edge computing will allow for real-time data processing, so cars can respond faster to other cars, infrastructure, and connected devices on the road.

The US is getting closer to the connected car future that major automakers like Audi, BMW, Volvo, Ford have pushed for. Roughly 60 percent of US drivers rode a connected vehicle in 2021, and that number is expected to grow to more than 70 percent by 2025, according to an eMarketer report. While drawbacks for drivers include the added costs of subscription plans and cybersecurity risks, many still enjoy the added safety and entertainment features.

Telsa's already-smudged safety reputation took another hit on Thursday as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the start of a new investigation into the company — this time, in response to a flurry of complaints by owners that their vehicles would randomly and dangerously decelerate while at freeway speeds, which they've come to call "phantom braking."  

Per the NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), the agency has received "354 complaints alleging unexpected brake activation in 2021-2022 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles" over the past nine months. 

"The complaints allege that while utilizing the ADAS features including adaptive cruise control," the ODI summary reads, "the vehicle unexpectedly applies its brakes while driving at highway speeds. Complainants report that the rapid deceleration can occur without warning, at random, and often repeatedly in a single drive cycle."

As such, the ODI is launching this preliminary investigation "to determine the scope and severity of the potential problem and to fully assess the potential safety-related issues" with further steps to follow depending, of course, on what, if anything, the investigators uncover.

Many of the complaints have come very recently. The Washington Post notes that following one of its pieces published earlier this month, the "NHTSA received about 250 complaints about phantom braking during the following two weeks. That compared to 107 complaints in the prior three months — a steep surge of its own — and only 34 in the preceding 22 months."

“It’s when the traffic is coming towards me that it randomly throws on the brake,” Sally Bergquist, of Alexander City, Al, a 2021 Model S owner who experienced the phantom braking effect, told The Post. “This random braking is really concerning to me.” 

Tesla has had to issue a number of recalls for defects in its products in recent months, from software glitches to separating suspensions. Despite these issues, Tesla vehicles remain hot sellers in the EV marketplace and CEO Elon Musk remains steadfastly confident in his company's "Full Self-Driving" technology. 

“It’s not like some little feature,” Musk declared on Tesla's Q4 earnings call. “It’s like the most profound software upgrade maybe in history.”

This news comes in the immediate wake of Consumer Reportsnaming the Ford Mustang Mach-E its Car of the Year over the Model 3, and word that Musk on Thursday accused the SEC of harassment for its "endless" and "unrelenting" investigation into Tesla — not because his personal tweets (the subject of said SEC investigations) violated long-standing federal regulations, but because he is an outspoken critic of the government. Tesla could not be reached for comment in response to any of this as Musk dissolved the company's PR department in 2020.

Lamborghini hopes it can continue producing cars with internal combustion engines into the next decade, CEO Stephan Winkelmann told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag this week. “After hybridization, we will wait to see whether it will be possible to offer vehicles with an internal combustion engine beyond 2030,” he said in an interview with the outlet. “One possibility would be to keep combustion engine vehicles alive via synthetic fuels.”

If Lamborghini actually continues making ICE cars into the 2030s, it would put the Volkswagen-owned automaker at odds with much of the industry. Consider Dodge, for instance. The Stellantis-owned brand plans to debut its first all-electric muscle car in 2024. That same year, it also plans to stop producing some of its most popular gasoline-powered models, including the Challenger and Charger. By contrast, Lamborgini won’t offer a fully electric car before the end of the decade.

Practically speaking, even if Lamborghini continues producing ICE cars into the 2030s, it may not be able to sell those vehicles in many places. In the US and other parts of the world, governments have moved to ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars by mid-decade. Countries like Germany have made carveouts for vehicles powered by synthetic fuels, but no company is producing the gasoline alternative at scale yet and may not for many years to come.