How Honda and Sony are Teaming up to Revolutionize Electric Mobility

Is it a Honda? A Sony? It’s both – and neither. It’s an Afeela. A new electric vehicle brand was born from a joint venture between our Honda brand and the electronics giant Sony – Sony Honda Mobility (SHM). Afeela debuted at the recent CES  2023 in Las Vegas (Consumer Electronics Show). It is Honda’s first venture into the luxury EV segment and Sony’s promised venture into mobility.

The concept Afeela showed at CES 2023 is sleek, rounded, and powered by a new Qualcomm chip. The anticipated schedule is for orders beginning in 2025 and delivery in 2026. It’s already caught the imagination of auto critics, with Caranddriver.com enthusing, “…we can only hope the production model looks as good as this handsome sedan prototype.”

Qualcomm Technologies is the electronic underpinning of Afeela with the Snapdragon Ride Flex SoC. It will handle both assisted driving and what the driver experiences inside, including a vast entertainment component produced in conjunction with Epic Games. 

The official Afeela website trumpets “The new values that we want people to resonate with.” They are Autonomy, Augmentation, and Affinity. What might that mean?

• Autonomy – Afeela drivers will have access to driver-assistance features that, in some conditions, allow them to take their hands off the wheel (in this case, something that looks like it’s out of a jet cockpit) and handle other tasks. “Using sensors and many intelligent technologies, we will realize mobility with peace of mind,” according to the official Afeela website.
• Augmentation – “Mobility space built upon safety and security presents the possibility of enjoyment beyond driving,” according to the website. This is where Sony’s entertainment background comes in. 
• Affinity – “Mobility that is open to people, open to society.” Expect to see these technologies replicated elsewhere.
  

Afeela took home three big awards from CES 2023: 

• Android Authority’s “Best of CES 2023 Awards”
• The Verge’s “Best Car of The Verge Awards at CES 2023”
• Wired’s “The Best of CES 2023”

Interested in seeing Afeela in action? Here’s the official video, plus several other videos that will whet your appetite. If Afeela delivers on Sony Honda Mobility’s promises, it will be one fantastic ride!