Drew Dowdell

Probably summer then... but it wouldn't be the first time a concept was shown in January (traditionally Detroit show) and then production version in April (traditionally NYC show). I don't remember when either of those shows are anymore, but probably one of them. I can't see them taking it to the Texas State Fair, another traditional place to unveil trucks, they'll get booed.

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. View full article

Ford has that as an option on the 250 line at least, I'm not sure about the 150.

Eh… I wouldn’t go that far. They are rebadging existing ChargePoint hardware with their own three-point star logo and building a posh charging station. There’s no point in building a network due to be finished in 5 years with technology that is already behind. They’ll move to 800V eventually but even their 400V cars charge at an acceptable pace. When the first ones go up, it makes a nice place for Benz owners to justify their purchase to themselves, feel nice, and take lots of Instagram selfies.

The next cycle of the technology is Plug to Charge. You still need to pre-register with the charge network, but if you get ElectrifyAmerica and ChargePoint set up, you’ve got a good start. But the way it works is the charging network can remember your car and as soon as you plug it in, links to your account and starts charging. No app or credit card needed. Speaking of - Costco’s credit card has offered 4% cash back on all gas purchases for years now. But recently they added 4% cash back on most public charging station purchases as well. They’re the only major card I’m aware of that offers that.

SuperCruise you only have to watch the road for liability reasons. Cadillac has stated a while ago that they have the technological capability for Level 3, but they have concerns regarding liability. The requirement that you pay attention is why you don’t hear about Cadillacs plowing into a semi-truck because the driver was watching Lord of the Rings like you do with Tesla. This is one area where being first isn’t necessarily the best thing. I don’t mind GM taking it slow. BTW, GM Cruise has been on the road for over a year now, so your assertion that Benz did it first is false. Furthermore, calling Benz’s system Level 3, but only up to 37 mph means it’s not really Level 3. UltraCruise isn’t considered Level 3 because the driver has to take over in situations like a roundabout… so how can Benz be Level 3 if it can’t go over 37 mph? As long as there are no roundabouts on your trip, UltraCruise is door to door at all legal speeds. That’s far more useful than what the S-Class does.

Quote from the MB press release on this: "DRIVE PILOT can offer to take over the driving, initially up to the legally permitted speed of 60 km/h" That's 37.2823 mph for those of us in the states. There are suburban roads around here that you'll get run over doing that speed... and that's with the slow-ass Pittsburgh drivers. SuperCruise can run at 80 mph+. GM's UltraCruise can run at 80 mph+ but also: Provide users with information based on their experience with the system through an all-new dynamic display React to permanent traffic control devices Follow internal navigation routes Maintain headway; follow speed limits Support automatic and on-demand lane change Support left and right-hand turns Support close object avoidance Support parking in residential driveways The first vehicles getting will be higher end Cadillacs and the top trims of the big SUVs.

2024 is when we'll see the production version... if it is actually in production by then I'd be surprised... but if we see the production version get unveiled at 2024 CES (exactly a year from now), then rolling into dealerships in September 2024 as a '25 model is plausible. The Silverado EV is supposed to be rolling out in the Fall of this year and I put my reservation on one about a year ago... so it is similar timing. Because of my place on the list, I don't expect to see mine until 2025. BUT... if this RAM keeps some of the useful features of the concept, I could see putting down another reservation deposit on this as well.