CES 2023: Sony and Honda announce new electric vehicle prototype, Afeela

At the Consumer Electronics Show 2023 in Las Vegas, tech giant Sony and automaker Honda’s joint mobility venture unveiled a new electric vehicle (EV) prototype ‘Afeela’. The new car will be sold first in the US in 2026, which is also when the brand will appear. The pre-orders for Afeela are said to open in 2025, reports The Verge.

According to Sony Honda Mobility CEO Yasuhide Mizuno, the car would leverage Sony’s experience with artificial intelligence (AI), entertainment, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) to present a unique EV.

“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 utilising sensing and AI technologies,” Mizuno said in a statement.

Over 40 sensors, including cameras, radar, ultrasonic, and lidar, will be embedded all over the exterior of the vehicle to improve its ability to detect objects and drive autonomously. Mizuno also said that Afeela will attempt to embody three main themes — autonomy, augmentation, and affinity.

The prototype unveiled on stage was a sedan with a light bar across the front, a closed-off grille, and a high-gloss black roof. Other interesting design elements include black hubcaps and a light accent above the wheel wells. According to people who were present during the showcase, the prototype looked like a mishmash between a Porsche 911 and the Lucid Air, both of which were sold in the US.

Afeela is expected to be priced on par with other premium electric vehicles. Moreover, Sony said it expects its software to provide subscription services, so vehicle owners will likely have to pay a monthly fee to access certain features.

Sony showcased the concept car called the Vision-S at the CES three years ago. The concept car had infotainment screens from one pillar to another, along with a focus on music and entertainment. The car looked like what the company expected its first car to be and even though it was stunning, Sony assured everyone that it had no intention of actually doing so.

— Written with inputs from IANS