Sony-Honada JV may unveil first EV in January 2023
A few months ago, the company had released a teaser video on YouTube showing an outline of the car’s bonnet.
Tech giant Sony and automaker Honda’s joint mobility venture unveiled a new electric vehicle (EV) prototype ‘Afeela’ at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 in Las Vegas.
The new car will be sold first in the US in 2026 and pre-orders 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.
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“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 and a high-gloss black roof.
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.
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