Almost a year after Sony and Honda Share plans to jointly manufacture and sell electric vehiclesthe two companies have released a prototype under the brand name Afeela.
The 4-door sedan was driven on stage CES On Wednesday, Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said that with autonomous capabilities, “moving entertainment space[s]”
The first pre-orders for Afeelas are expected in the first half of 2025, with sales starting in the same year, Yoshida said. The first shipments are expected to reach customers in North America in the spring of 2026.
Sony and Honda have previously said the new EV will initially be built at Honda’s North American plant and will be equipped with Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities under limited conditions. Level 3 autonomy means that the car can drive in situations such as traffic jams, but a human driver must take over if the system demands it.
Sony today unveiled new details about the vehicle’s design, including the integration of external media along the front of the vehicle, allowing it to interact with other road users and share the information they need.
“We plan to explore the possibilities of how media can create fun and exciting mobility interactions,” says Yoshida.
The prototype is also equipped with 45 cameras and sensors inside and outside the vehicle to ensure safety and security, Yoshida said. Sensors in the car monitor the driver’s condition and prevent accidents.
Afeela also plans to offer best-in-class entertainment to customers, Yoshida said. The Sony-Honda joint venture will integrate Epics Games’ Unreal Engine, his 3D computer graphics game engine, into its vehicles to visualize not only in-car entertainment, but also communication and safety.
“of addition To movie, game, When music, we envision a new in-flight experience Use our Expertise of UX When of UI Mr. Yoshida said:
Kim Libreri, Chief Technology Officer at Epic Games, said the most natural way to visualize important data in a car is through what Unreal Engine does best: photorealistic enhancements that are intuitive and interactive. says there is.
“In the future, the car will become the next-generation destination for social connectivity, not only for residents, but also for networks of friends and colleagues. Libreri said on stage. CES.
Afeela vehicles are built around Qualcomm’s system-on-a-chip technology to handle all the computing needed for autonomous driving and advanced driver assistance system functions, car telematics, and features expected from infotainment systems. increase. Snapdragon Digital Chassis.
