Meet the new ‘Afeela’ EV prototype from Honda and Sony

Harnessing its vast entertainment content, Sony unveiled a prototype of the new “Afeela” electric vehicle it will build with Honda. Ultimately, Sony is looking to become a player in the development of next-generation cars. 

The Afeela, which has rounded sides and a sleek black roof, was first shown off by Sony at the CES 2023 technology trade event in Las Vegas. The car will make use of Qualcomm Inc.’s “Snapdragon” digital chassis and other hardware components.

Sony’s eagerly anticipated entry into the electric vehicle market demonstrates how automakers are putting more emphasis on the cockpit experience in vehicles. Offering the possibility to monetize content via subscription services, particularly,  as autonomous driving capabilities advance.

 Yashuhide Mizuno, the CEO of Sony Honda Mobility, said at the trade shows that high-performance processing and constant software updates are necessary to achieve intelligent mobility. They will collaborate closely with Qualcomm to aim toward their goal.

The Snapdragon Ride Flex SoC, a new CPU from Qualcomm, manages both cockpits and assisted driving features, including entertainment. Combining those operations that were previously performed by separate chips can help save expenses. Also, the “Unreal Engine” 3-D development technology from Epic Games, the company behind the “Fortnite” video game franchise, will be used to create the car. 

Honda’s partnership with Sony will enable it to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, which has so far been slow. The first EV is expected to be delivered as early as 2026, and the new EV will be priced at a premium.

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