At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Thursday, Sony and Honda Mobility announced the brand name for their electric vehicle joint venture, "Afeela". Afeela plans to demonstrate a new relationship between people and mobility with its corporate purpose “Move people, through the pursuit of innovation with diverse inspirations.”
During the announcement, Afeela showed their concept car that will serve as the basis for a production vehicle slated to go on the market at the beginning of 2026.
The soft lines of the concept are designed to make occupants feel like they are in a cocoon of safety. The interior has an airy, minimalist design to reduce distractions. A new human interface, HMI*4, will provide a personalized in-car experience with augmented reality and cloud-service connectivity to provide entertainment beyond driving.
The platform is equipped with a powerful new Qualcomm Snapdragon Digital Chassis for maximum computing power, and
it will need it to run the 45 cameras and sensors inside and out. Updates over the air will come via the built-in 5G network.
Driving autonomy is a big push in the industry currently, and the Afeela concept is no exception. Afeela promises Level-3 automated driving in limited conditions and Level-2+ in certain situations, such as urban driving.
Afeela did not release mechanical specifications such as battery capacity, expected range, or power outputs. Still, they did indicate that it was all-wheel drive, meaning that it likely has a dual motor setup.
The Afeela concept is roughly 193 inches long and 75 inches wide, making it about the same size as a Ford Fusion, but with a wheelbase 6 inches longer than the Fusion, the Afeela promises to have a very spacious interior.
For Honda, this partnership with Sony helps Honda with its slow start in the electric vehicle segment. Honda’s first EV, the Prologue was developed in partnership with General Motors using their Ultium BEV platform and is due out in 2024.
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