The first car is a fairly large electric hatchback
At CES 2023, Sony Honda Mobility, founded by Sony and Honda respectively, unveiled its Afeela automotive brand.
A somewhat strange name for a car is derived from the word feel – to feel. In order to “feel” everything that happens on the road and in the cabin, the car will have as many as 45 different sensors at its disposal. And for communication with people, a long LED strip is provided between the headlights. She will “communicate” with the help of light.
Interestingly, despite such a large number of sensors and cameras, only the second level of autonomy has been announced so far, but with plans to move to the third level.
If Honda is responsible for the automotive component, then Sony is responsible for the entertainment. Smart car technology will be based on the capabilities of Qualcomm Snapdragon chips, and the graphical user interface will be implemented based on Unreal Engine from Epic Games.
The first Afeela (which looks like a large electric hatchback designed for five) will be assembled in the US at Honda’s Ohio facility. Pre-orders will begin to accept in 2025, real sales will start in 2026. Probably, the company will do without dealers: it was previously said that Sony Honda Mobility is going to sell cars online.
