Sony & Honda Present First-Ever Car From Their Joint EV Company

Sony and Honda are taking a stab at the electric vehicle movement with their own iteration that marries the performance of Honda cars and Sony’s entertainment prowess.
 
Visions for the new joint company, Afeela, were first showcased on Wednesday at CES 2023. Afeela positions itself in the growing EV market as a new entrant that matches entertainment on the same level as performance.

Afeela’s first public concept is a sleek gray mid-sized sedan with rounded corners and a black roof. While that is not the most pioneering car design, its cockpit is the main selling point.
 
The vehicle will potentially be outfitted with software directly from Qualcomm, including a familiar Snapdragon UI. This could possibly handle assisted driving and other in-car entertainment services.
 
Moreover, Afeela will come with 45 cameras and sensors and employ Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3D creation tool. Unfortunately, there is no more information on how exactly the design tool will be used within the automotive. Nevertheless, with this inclusion, the producers may be looking for an all-immersive rider experience within the cockpit.

With more and more car manufacturers looking inwards when it comes to a niche selling point of their vehicles, Sony’s hand in Afeela’s creation could help set it apart from other EV giants like Tesla, which has also placed its sights on creating state-of-the-art infotainment systems.
 
Both parties aim for Afeela to hit the road sometime in 2026, starting with an initial launch in North America and Japan.
 
 
 
[via Bloomberg and Reuters, images via Afeela]