At CES 2023, Sony Honda Mobility, the joint venture company between Sony and Honda, announced their electric vehicle brand Afeela. The company also showcased a prototype of its first electric car Vision-S at the event. The car is set to go on sale in North America in 2026.
Yasuhide Mizuno, CEO of Sony Honda Mobility, said that the car would leverage Sony’s experience with AI, entertainment, virtual reality, and augmented reality. The brand Afeela will attempt to embody three main themes: autonomy, augmentation, and affinity in its vehicles. The car will also use the technology from Qualcomm.
“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 utilizing sensing and AI technologies,” Mizuno said.
The prototype features 45 cameras and sensors inside and outside of the car to ensure security and safety. The car can also monitor the driver’s status. It will also feature best-in-class entertainment.
The company previously confirmed that its upcoming EV will be initially manufactured at Honda’s North America factory. This EV will also feature Level 3 automated driving capabilities. Level 3 autonomy means the car can automatically drive in certain situations but will request the driver to take over when needed.
