Sony And Honda Are Building Cars Together Under A New Name, Here’s What It’s Called
Sony and Honda debuted their new electric vehicle called Afeela at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show.
The year kicked off with a highly anticipated annual event, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Sony Honda Mobility was among the ranks of companies showcasing their latest innovations. The new-ish venture unveiled news of its first-ever electric vehicle prototype, the Afeela.
Sony Honda Mobility is a joint venture between the tech and automotive giants. Last year, the companies announced they were joining forces to develop electric vehicles. And it didn’t take them long at all to achieve that mission.
On Wednesday, the chief executive of Sony Honda Mobility, Yasuhide Mizuno, proudly showed off the new Afeela. He said, “At the heart of this mobility experience is the word ‘feel.’” The car will interact with people, and not just those inside.
According to CNN, “Running above the car’s front bumper is a narrow exterior display screen the company calls the media bar. It will allow the vehicle to show information and interact with people outside the vehicle.” But that is not the only high-tech wizardry in the Afeela.
The entertainment options inside are being developed with Unreal Engine graphics. This technology belongs to Epic Games (the makers of Fortnite). Afeela’s interior interfaces include Unreal Engine graphics.
But, as fancy as that sounds, Sony Honda Mobility is not the first car manufacturer to use the tech. General Motors used the same tech in its Hummer EV. So, maybe it is safe to say that these state-of-the-art interfaces are the wave of the future for the automotive industry.
Of particular interest is how Sony and Honda combined their unique skillsets to develop the impressive Afeela. It will feature Honda’s driver assistance and safety systems, well known for their high quality. But Sony is handling the interactive and entertainment features.
However, what electric vehicle would be complete without some of the latest driver assistance software? The Afeela has an impressive 45 sensors and cameras. Those monitoring devices are outside and inside the car, which is intriguing news.
Apparently, “some of which are used to detect the condition of the driver to help ensure alertness and safety.” And while that feels a bit invasive, it is also in line with the direction car manufacturers and insurance companies appear to be headed. All monitoring, all the time.
While those details only feel like an appetizer, there is not much more to tell. Mizuno kept most details about the Afeela prototype close to his vest. Little other news came out of the CES, at least as it relates to the newest EV.
Interested customers will just have to wait for more information, though it is unclear when they will get it. What we do know is when the car will be available. Well, at least tentatively.
Afeela fans can either order or purchase the new car starting at some point in 2025. Unfortunately, that will effectively be a very early pre-order. The vehicle will not arrive at dealers or directly to buyers for at least another year, at least for those in North America.
