Alongwith Honda, Sony Unveiled The “Afeela” Electric Vehicle

Do you know Alongwith Honda, Sony Unveiled The “Afeela” Electric Vehicle? At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 in Las Vegas, the joint mobility venture between tech giant Sony and manufacturer Honda introduced a new electric vehicle (EV) concept called “Afeela,” claiming it will use its huge entertainment content to compete in the next-generation of vehicles.  in the US in 2026.

The Afeela, which has rounded sides and a sleek black roof, was first shown off by Sony at the CES 2023 technology trade event in Las Vegas. The vehicle will make use of Qualcomm Inc.’s (QCOM.O) “Snapdragon” digital chassis and other hardware components.

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Yasuhide Mizuno, CEO of Sony Honda Mobility, claimed that the vehicle would make use of Sony’s expertise in virtual reality, augmented reality, and entertainment to deliver a distinctive EV.

According to a statement from Mizuno, “Afeela reflects our notion of an interactive relationship where individuals feel the sensation of interactive mobility and where mobility can detect and understand people and society by using sensing and AI technology.”

To enhance the car’s ability to recognise objects and drive autonomously, more than 40 sensors, including cameras, radar, ultrasonic, and lidar, will be placed all over the outside of the vehicle. Afeela will make an effort to embody the three ideas of autonomy, augmentation, and affinity, according to Mizuno.

Alongwith Honda, Sony Unveiled The “Afeela” Electric Vehicle

According to the corporations, sales will begin in the lucrative US market in 2026. In June 2022, Sony and Honda initially disclosed their plans to create automobiles, and Sony has already unveiled two electric vehicle designs, the Vision-S sedan and Vision-S 02 crossover.

Although the latter is a sure thing, the former will come to pass first. It’s difficult to ignore the similarities between the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y. The well-known Japanese businesses claim that Afeela is about “pursuing innovation with diversified knowledge,” combining Sony’s software expertise with Honda’s auto manufacturing expertise. According to Yoshida, “We intend to investigate the potential of how media might generate a joyful and thrilling mobility encounter.”

The 2025 sedan model will be 4895mm long, about equivalent from nose to tail to an Ioniq 6, and will cut through both a Model 3 and a Model S. Although we are unsure of the battery and motor specifications yet, it will have five seats and dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD).

Yoshida stated, “We foresee a new in-cabin experience employing our expertise in UX and UI technologies, in addition to movies, games, and music. According to Kim Libreri, chief technology officer of Epic Games, intuitive interactive photo real augmentation—which Unreal Engine excels at—is the most natural method to represent significant data inside the car.

In contrast to the original concept, it will have a rounder, more minimalistic shape with no visible door handles and black pillars that make the glass roof appear to “float.” Its wheels will also be built for maximum airflow. The JV refers to the prototype’s exterior as having a “Media Bar,” which makes use of lighting to interact with those nearby.

There aren’t many things inside, but it’s airy and light, and there are many plans to employ more environmentally friendly materials. A set of screens stretching pillar to pillar include video feeds in place of side mirrors like a Genisis GV60 and augmented reality navigation. The steering wheel is similar to those in the Tesla Model S and Lexus RZ.

There will undoubtedly be OTA compatibility based on 5G. Afeela claims that by merging Sony’s sensors and Honda’s ADAS safety technologies, it hopes to develop the greatest Level 3 autonomous driving suite in the world. The prototype has 800 TOPS of maximum computational power for the ECU and 45 cameras and sensors both inside and outside.

It will be software-defined and use the Snapdragon Digital Chassis SoC from Qualcomm Technologies, and the JV also intends to take advantage of value-adds from the Unreal Engine from Epic Games. “The mobile area will be expanded into an entertainment space and a moving place by combining the actual and virtual worlds. Afeela characterises it as “pursuing the prospect of new entertainment by fully utilising technology such as Metaverse.”

Additionally, Sony stated that it anticipates its software to offer subscription services, so owners of vehicles

The automobile will eventually develop into a next-generation location for social connectivity. not just for the residents but also for their social and professional network. It will integrate with the rest of our digital lives, Libreri predicted onstage at CES.

Afeela cars will be constructed around Qualcomm’s system on a chip technology, including their Snapdragon digital chassis, to handle all the computing required for automated driving and advanced driver assistance system capabilities, car telematics, and what we anticipate to be tricked infotainment system.