Here is Afeela, the first full electric prototype from Sony Honda Mobility
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vegas – For now we have a name and a prototype: the name is Afeela and it’s new electric vehicle brand created by Sony Honda Mobility (SHM), a newborn joint venture that aims to combine the skills of the hi-tech giant with those of the automotive manufacturer to “change mobility”. The prototype is the one shown at CES in Las Vegas, the largest electronics fair in the world which, not surprisingly, has now also become the first major event of the year for the automotive industry. A clear sign of the profound transformation that the entire automotive sector is experiencing.
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However, few details are shared by the CEO SHM Yasuhide Mizuno on the new electric vehicle just presented, of which however we know that “it is equipped with a total of 45 cameras and sensors inside and outside the vehicle”, that “the start of pre-orders is scheduled for the first half of 2025, the on sale by the end of 2025 and delivery from spring 2026 in North America”. And then, again, that the “brain” of the car will be based on Qualcomm technologywhile new on-board entertainment services will also be developed in collaboration with the same Epic that produces ultra-popular video games such as Fortnite.
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The wide range of sensors will be used to develop a “360° vision” around the vehicle: thanks to high-resolution cameras, radar and Lidar systems, it will in fact be possible to implement progressively more efficient safety and driving assistance systems, to develop level 3 autonomous driving, as well as augmented reality features for the driver.
During and after the press conference in Las Vegas the prototype could only be observed from afar, which says a lot compared to how immature the project is still. The images shown on the screen by Mizuno (together with what could be seen from a distance by peering over the closed doors) however testify to the multiplication of screens in the passenger compartment, confirming the entertainment centrality in the onboard experience.
In particular, one could see what appeared to be a 55-inch display (from pillar to pillar) dedicated to the driver and front passenger, apparently similar to the one always shown at CES by Qualcomm with the Snapdragon Digital Chassis, a platform developed specifically for the connected and intelligent car. As if that weren’t enough, two large displays could also be glimpsed for the rear seat passengers which will be used for infotainment, but also and above all for accessing marketplaces and making purchases even while on the move.
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No mention of the technical characteristics such as power, speed or autonomy: the official website shows only that it will have four-wheel drive, while the new collaboration with Honda removes the possibility that Afeela inherits the technical characteristics of the Vision-S, the other prototype developed by Sony with Bosch, Continental and Magna (two engines – one per axle – 200 kW each, 240 km/h top speed, with acceleration from zero to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds). What is certain is that Honda, in order to start the development of the over 30 electric vehicles that it will have to put on the market in the next ten years, has in turn begun a collaboration with General Motors to develop the Prologue ev, based precisely on the GM Ultium platform . Only time will tell if we will see the latter on the Afeela as well.
The fact remains that four years is quite a long time when it comes to the evolution of electric carsIn short, there is plenty of time to evolve this concept whose design seems halfway between a Porsche and the Vision-S, and which will have to contend with rivals of the caliber of Tesla, Audi, Hyundai, Mercedes and BMW.
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