The cause of 'Apila' stranded by Japanese media... Technological superiority is different from business performance

*This content was translated by AI.

When Sony and Honda's joint venture "Sony and Honda Mobility (SHM)" announced the suspension of the development and release of the electric vehicle Apila, major Japanese media have defined it as an incident that reveals the structural limitations of the Japanese manufacturing industry as a whole and are conducting an in-depth analysis.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun cited the root cause of the incident as a "strategic frostbite" between the two companies. Sony defined the vehicle as a high value-added space for content consumption and aimed to equip it with expensive sensors and entertainment systems, but Honda, facing stagnant demand for electric vehicles and worsening profitability, had no choice but to prioritize manufacturing efficiency and cost reduction. In particular, as Honda recently withdrew its plan for its own EV platform (0 series) for the North American market by recording 2.5 trillion yen worth of electric vehicle-related losses, the power of the joint venture that relied on the technology has virtually disappeared.

The Yomiuri Shimbun and the Asahi Shimbun strongly criticized the "lack of speed" unique to Japanese companies. While the Japanese coalition was refining its concept car with the aim of technological completeness, Tesla and China's BYD as well as Xiaomi dominated the market by establishing mass production systems at an overwhelming speed. "While Japan is obsessed with craftsmanship, the global mobility market has already been reorganized around software and price competitiveness," the media said, pointing out that the slow decision-making structure of the Japanese automobile industry has hampered innovation.

The Sankei Shimbun noted external policy changes and geopolitical risks. The Trump administration's move to cut subsidies and ease regulations on internal combustion engines has made Apila's profit model, which was mainly targeted at the North American market, opaque. Honda's prevailing view is that it had no choice but to choose a "survival strategy" to return to the profitable hybrid (HEV) business rather than investing in the uncertain pure electric vehicle market.

Some media, including the Tokyo Shimbun, raised concerns that the collapse would accelerate the "Galapagosization" of the Japanese auto industry. It is a warning that Japan could be forever isolated from the next-generation mobility competition as Sony's technology, which was praised at CES, is repeatedly stranded without being able to connect to actual business. Experts stress the reality that "it is not possible to lead the market only by showing off technology," and urge Japanese companies to fundamentally renew their hardware-oriented mindset.

In conclusion, the overall reaction of the Japanese media results in self-reflection that "the pride of Japanese manufacturing has been defeated in the global speed battle." Most media outlets agree that the Japanese automobile industry should not settle for the short-term success of the hybrid market and come up with special measures to secure pure electric vehicles and software competitiveness.

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*This content was translated by AI.