CES 2023: Sony and Honda unveil "Afeela"

Now the Sony Corporation is entering the EV market. After a series of interesting electric vehicle prototypes in recent years, the consumer electronics giant has made its ambitions in electric vehicles clear with the announcement of a new brand named Afeela at CES in Las Vegas.

Together, Sony and Honda unveiled the prototype of a new electric sedan. The subtle design is intentional: The concept itself is a relatively understated electric car with a low profile and aerodynamic wheels. Yasuhide Mizuno, head of the joint venture and leader of Honda's automotive division, emphasized that the EV concept aims to “create a new value standard for mobility.” He does not want the car to be viewed in traditional terms like power and performance. Instead, “software, networks, and user experiences” should be the focus.

Top Computing Power

As expected from an electric vehicle by the electronics giant, the prototype of the vehicle boasts 45 cameras and sensors both inside and outside the vehicle. Coupled with a maximum computing power of 800 TOPS for the control unit, the Afeela concept is more than just another EV. The electric car encompasses entire next-generation software suites, from Qualcomm Technologies' Snapdragon Digital Chassis for ADAS and telematics solutions to a collaboration with Epic Games in the field of entertainment.

The digital functions of the concept can be updated via "Over-the-Air" updates. According to initial statements by Sony-Honda Mobility, Afeela is expected to offer Level 3 automated driving "under limited conditions" while Level 2 driver assistance will be available in more situations, including urban traffic.

Experiences from the Vision S-02 were incorporated

Afeela is not Sony's first concept vehicle. The company presented the Vision-S at CES 2020 and an updated SUV version, the Vision-S 02, a year ago. Some of the designers and engineers who worked on these vehicles were also involved in the new Afeela concept, according to Sony spokesman Jun Koketsu. Although the tasks were different—the Afeela sedan is intended for production, while the Vision-S models were for experimentation.

“Since the members who worked on Afeela came from Vision S, there are essences that were taken from the previous project, but it is not quite the same," said Koketsu. “This means that EVs mean clean energy. So, we want to emphasize cleanliness and try to reduce the noise of the design. The upper end is somewhat softer, while the lower end is more focused on sharpness. So, there is a kind of contrast between softness and sharpness, but the design concept itself is neutral."

Koketsu did not want to comment on specific future Afeela designs but said that all other models would share this three-part aesthetic.