The company that famously declared it would be the last automaker in the world to field an EV-only fleet has just commissioned a lithium-ion battery plant in Japan.

Mazda Motor said on Monday that it will build a new module pack plant for automotive cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells in Iwakuni City in southwest Japan.

Mazda is building a new plant in Japan, where it will produce Panasonic batteries. Its first EV-dedicated platform is being developed in-house and will be ready by 2027. Mazda is also working on next-gen lithium-ion and solid-state battery technology Mazda might be doing just fine without a dedicated EV,

Sony Honda Mobility used its CES press conference to announce that it has begun taking pre-orders for its first EV, the Afeela 1 sedan.

Sony has been discussing its EV ambitions for five years, but now the company is ready to sell you a car. Through Sony Honda Mobility, the Afeela is be available for reservation one now with a $200 fee.

That means I still haven't had an in-person look at the Afeela, a new electric sedan that goes on sale in California later this year. Sony stunned everyone by first showing off an electric concept car at CES in 2020.