Consumer electronics giant, Sony and automobile manufacturer, Honda, who collaborated last year to develop and manufacture electric vehicles, have revealed the name of their new car brand: Afeela.
The two giants unveiled their first car innovation during the Consumer Electronics Show. Sony Honda Mobility chief executive Yasuhide Mizuno, who led the reveal of the prototype of the company’s first car, which looked like a mid-sized sedan, offered minute detail about the vehicle.
“At the heart of this mobility experience is the word ‘feel,’” Mizuno said, explaining that the focus will be on sensing and interacting with people.
Honda’s safety and driver assistance systems, as well as Sony’s entertainment and interactive features, will be included as part of the care features. The wonder-on-wheels will also have 45 cameras and sensors inside and outside the vehicle, some of which will detect the driver’s condition to help ensure alertness and safety.
“When developing the car, the emphasis has been on software and user interface technology as much as driving dynamics and performance,”, he said.
Running above the car’s front bumper is a narrow exterior display screen the company calls the media bar. The bar will allow the vehicle to display information and interact with people outside the vehicle, Mizuno stated.
Inside, the company is working with Unreal Engine graphics technology from Epic Games, the company that produces Fortnite, to design interfaces for the vehicle. Unreal Engine’s technology has also been used by other auto brands, including General Motors, which used it in the Hummer EV.
However, Afeela will not be available for order or purchase until 2025, with the first deliveries in North America not taking place until 2026.
