While we are gradually moving from thermal cars to electric cars, the market is attracting more and more players. Sony, like other companies such as Apple or Xiaomi, also wants to make a place for itself on this one. In 2022, the Japanese company created an alliance with the manufacturer Honda, called Sony Honda Mobility, with the ambition of producing electric cars in a few years.
And at the start of 2023, at CES in Las Vegas, this alliance says more about its projects. First of all, this high mass of tech was an opportunity for Sony and Honda to lift the veil on their new brand of electric cars: Afeela. And besides, the two companies did not come empty-handed, since a first prototype was also presented during the conference.
Sony Honda Mobility presents its brand at CES 2023, as well as the prototype. © Sony Honda Mobility
Qualcomm chip, partnership with Epic
The Afeela prototype is a sedan. And if we are not yet talking about autonomous cars, Sony and Honda promise to offer a compendium of technologies and entertainment. Sony and Honda will offer a vehicle with level 3 driving delegation in certain scenarios, and level 2+ driving assistance in urban areas. The alliance plans to use SoCs supplied by Qualcomm with a computing power of 800 TOPS (tera operation per second). As for the sensors, the current prototype is equipped with 45 cameras and sensors inside and outside the vehicle. These sensors help to avoid road accidents and detect the situation of the vehicle.
Quick video of the Sony Afeela from #CES2023 pic.twitter.com/EEppwRH5wG
—Jeff ?✌️ (@JeffTutorials) January 5, 2023
Otherwise, the Sony Honda alliance also plans to collaborate with Epic Games to offer services and entertainment inside the vehicle. And the two companies want to use augmented reality to provide “intuitive” navigation for the driver. As for design, the Afeela sedan is equipped with a “Media Bar” on the outside which allows the car to “express itself” using light. And the inside, according to the covenant, is marked with a “soft rounded tone, enveloping the occupants in a soft cocoon”.
The interior of the Afeela prototype. © Sony Honda Mobility
Marketing in 2025
The vehicle presented at CES in Las Vegas is a prototype, but Sony and Honda will develop their production model based on it. Afeela plans to open its pre-orders in the first half of 2025, and begin marketing at the end of 2025. And in 2026, the electric vehicle will be available in North America. In a statement released in October, Sony Honda Mobility said the first product would be assembled at a Honda plant in North America.
