الجمعة، 6 يناير 2023

CES 2023: Sony, Honda Unveil 2026 EV Under New ‘Afeela’ Brand

(Image: Sony Honda Mobility Inc.)
Toward the end of 2022, Sony and Honda announced an unexpected yet fitting alliance: Sony Honda Mobility Inc. The partnership, according to both brands’ presidents, would eventually produce a series of electric vehicles using Sony’s technology for infotainment. Now that goal is beginning to manifest in the form of a single EV prototype.

Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) unveiled its as-yet-unnamed electric sedan this week at CES 2023. The thing looks like a commuter car from the Tron universe, and that’s a compliment: Its polished, aerodynamic shape and narrow light bars give it a futuristic yet sophisticated vibe. Many people have compared it with Lucid’s luxury EVs, and while SHM’s Afeela model is only a prototype as of now, it could be that their end product ends up mimicking that aesthetic at a slightly lower price point.

The vehicle’s exterior and interior feature 45 total cameras and sensors. These are somewhat typical in EVs these days and are used for everything from backup cameras and digital rearview mirrors to lane departure intervention and other safety features. But SHM says it hopes to implement a partially-automated (known as “level 3”) highway driving system as well as a “level 2+” system in more crowded environments. Honda is already somewhat familiar with this technology, having announced its dedication to “advanced level 3” self-driving just last year.

(Image: Sony Honda Mobility Inc.)

Of course, SHM’s sedan is a medium through which drivers will (hopefully) enjoy Sony’s on-the-go infotainment technology. As SHM first mentioned in November, its flagship EV will feature a gaming interface that uses core components of the coveted PlayStation 5. The company has signed a deal with Epic Games to create new in-car entertainment options, which will likely be experienced through Sony’s audio-visual hardware. These options and the vehicle’s self-driving capabilities will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis.

The EV (and each forthcoming model) will be a part of the joint venture’s new brand, Afeela. “Afeela represents our concept of an interactive relationship where people feel the sensation of interactive mobility and where mobility can detect and understand people and society by utilizing sensing and AI technologies,” Sony Honda Mobility CEO Yasuhide Mizuno said at CES.

Afeela plans to begin taking orders for its first EV in 2025, with deliveries beginning in 2026.

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