Sony
One of the more interesting stories that popped up at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas over the last few years was Sony’s electric car. The Japanese tech giant wowed people when it debuted the Vision-S in 2020. The Vision-S is designed to showcase Sony’s sensor and camera tech on the outside and its entertainment portfolio on the inside. It is a handsome EV.
A further developed prototype of the Vision-S appeared the following year. Then, in 2022, his SUV version also showed up at his CES. At the time, Sony told media it was exploring the commercial potential of Sony EVs, and last March announced a strategic partnership with Honda. Honda will provide body engineering and after-sales support, while Sony will provide electronics, sensors and networking. , Telecom, Infotainment.
Sony’s automotive ambitions became clearer at CES 2023. A joint venture, Sony Honda Mobility, has launched a brand called Afeela. This is a society where people feel “mobility as an intelligent entity” and mobility is “a society that utilizes people, sensing, and network IT technology.
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The hump on the roof is for the time-of-flight sensor. The light bar on the front that currently says Afeela could show other colors and text. And is it just me or did the front start to look like Lucid Air?
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The Afeela prototype has a more modest shape than the Sony Vision-S concepts we’ve seen in the last few years.
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Early Vision-S concepts included some elements of the Porsche Taycan, but Afira appears to have modeled the rear end after the Porsche 911 Targa.
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Sony Honda Mobility does more than just sell cars. Do customers want it?
Sony
The car has changed a little since we saw it last year, but the dominant design cues are still reminiscent of Porsche and Lucid. A strong touch of Lucid Air on the front of the new EV.
Notable for its appearance is the front light bar that Afeela can use to “express itself to the people around it, enabling mobility and interactive communication between people”, greetings etc. display text messages or display the current weather. (I wonder if there is a function to display mirror image text to display messages to the car in front…)
People in the Afeela EV may not be aware of what’s going on outside, but Sony wants the car to be a conduit for entertainment products like movies, music and games. To that end, SHM has signed a deal with Epic Games to develop new entertainment.
“At Epic, we have a passion for automobiles and the automotive industry, and we are very pleased that Sony and Sony Honda Mobility are entering the innovative world of mobility and automotive technology. We are excited to deliver this revolutionary space,” said Epic CTO Kim Libreri.
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The interior of the Afeela prototype is dominated by screens. Along with the main display in front of the driver and a vet infotainment screen that takes up most of the rest of the dashboard, there are screens on either side for side-view cameras.
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Afeela liked the yoke Tesla switched to for the Model S. Next time I see this car, I hope it’s a regular round steering wheel.
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At least it has physical controls for infotainment. And this looks pretty tactile.
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Yes, Afeela uses side cameras instead of reflex mirrors, but in North America that will probably have to be changed.
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As you can imagine, both rear seats have screens.
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Afeela doesn’t promise a fully autonomous future, but at least not yet, but SHM is working on a partially automated (so-called “level 3”) driving system for highways and a so-called “level 2 +” is being developed. A system for use in a more built environment. The Afeela prototype has a total of 45 cameras and sensors inside and outside to enable a host of advanced driver assistance systems.
Processing power is required for both entertainment and ADAS functions, and SHM chose Qualcomm as its partner in this area.
“Automobiles are becoming increasingly connected and intelligent, changing the way we experience them. The Snapdragon Digital Chassis serves as the foundation for the next generation of software-defined vehicles, enabling new mobility experiences and services. We are thrilled to be collaborating with Sony.Honda Mobility brings our shared vision for the car of the future to life,” said Cristiano Amon, president and CEO of Qualcomm.
SHM says it plans to transform the Afeela prototype into a production vehicle over the next few years. Pre-orders will open in the first half of 2025, and production is expected to begin at Honda’s U.S. plant. The car will first be sent to Japan and Europe, with deliveries planned for North America in the spring of 2026.
