Feel the drive – AFEELA – a new EV from Sony and Honda
A complete information for newly showcased electric car AFEELA
There is a lot of buzz in eAutomotive industry now a day because not only OEM but also component manufacturers have joined hand together and bringing very cutting edge technological electric vehicle on the world stage. The one example could be from Canada where- Project ‘Arrow‘, a fully electric, Level 3 autonomous, fully operational one-off SUV was revealed at CES 2023 by the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) of Canada. More than 50 suppliers, worked on this vehicle to showcase Canada’s supply, IT, and critical minerals sectors. Other major development in this story is from Sony.
In CES 2020, Sony unveiled its vision S concept electric car. 33 sensors used for valet parking, advanced cruise control, facial recognition and various safety features. Each seat has individual speakers to allow passengers to listen to their own music and a lot of entertainment related features on a wide panoramic screen. It also has the driver assistance features. Some of the unique offerings are the 360 reality audio and the panoramic screen of dashboard. But this story is too old for now.
Read more here about Sony Vision-S (CES 2020)
Let’s talk about latest update from SONY and HONDA in 2023
In CES 2023, SHM (SONY HONDA Mobility Inc.) announced its new brand “AFEELA” that represents “FEEL,” which is at the center of the mobility experience. AFEELA expresses an interactive relationship where people “FEEL” mobility as an intelligent entity, and mobility “FEELs” people and society using sensing and network IT technologies.
The new company “SONY HONDA Mobility Inc.” will aim to bring together Honda’s cutting-edge environmental and safety technologies, mobility development capabilities, vehicle body manufacturing technology and after-sales service management experience, with Sony’s expertise in the development and application of imaging, sensing, telecommunication, network and entertainment technologies, to realize a new generation of mobility and services for mobility that are closely aligned with users and the environment, and continue to evolve going forward.
Specification of AFEELA
AFEELA electric car has level 3 autonomous driving which has optimized for specific conditions, as well as driving assistance features such as level 2+ autonomy for urban and other wide range of conditions.
The company has integrated a total of 45 cameras and sensors inside and outside the AFEELA to deliver a customizable, safe and secure mobility experiences.
SHM (Sony Honda Mobility Inc.) aims to become a software-oriented “Mobility Tech Company” by providing high value-added products and services, and by building new relations with customers.
Pre-booking of AFEELA
▪ Pre-orders for the first product are planned to begin in the first half of 2025, with sales to commence before the end of 2025. Delivery is planned to start in the United States in Spring 2026, followed by Japan in the second half of 2026.
▪ The new company’ s high value-added EV concept is defined as the 3A’ s for Autonomy, Augmentation, and Affinity. Cutting-edge technologies will be applied to realize the 3A’s.
Back ground of Sony Honda Mobility Inc.
Sony Honda Mobility Inc. held a press conference on 13th October 2022 in which its Representative Director, Chairman and CEO Yasuhide Mizuno and Representative Director, President and COO Izumi Kawanishi announced the company’s establishment.
Sony Group Corporation (Sony) and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda) signed a memorandum of understanding for strategic alliance in mobility field on March 4, 2022. On June 16, the companies signed a joint venture agreement to e stablish Sony Honda Mobility Inc. June 16, 2022, The new company to engage in the sale of high-value-added electric vehicles (EVs) and provide services for mobility.
Company overview – SHM
Company name: Sony Honda Mobility Inc.
Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Capital: 10 billion yen
Investment ratio: Sony Group Corporation 50%, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. 50%
Members of the board:
Yasuhide Mizuno, Representative Director, Chairman and CEO
Izumi Kawanishi, Representative Director, President and COO
Shugo Yamaguchi, Director and Deputy President
Kojiro Okabe, Director and Executive Vice President
Manabu Ozawa, Director (Honda Motor Co., Ltd.)
Naoya Horii, Director (Sony Group Corporation)
Website:
https://www.sony-honda-mobility.com/
AFEELA EV Prototype images
Note: Image credit –> Sony , Sony Honda Mobility Inc. (for all used in this article).
