Executives at Sony and Honda have announced a joint venture deal to form “Sony Honda Mobility Inc” in March 2022. The newly formed company will sell “high-value-added electric vehicles (EVs)” and offer mobility services starting with 2025.
“The new company 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,” said a Sony Group press release.
Now, the media reported that Sony and Honda have selected a name for their new car brand, which will be called Afeela. Additionally, Yasuhide Mizuno, the CEO of Sony Honda Mobility, unveiled a prototype of the company's first car at a presentation during the Consumer Electronics Show. So, here’s everything we know about Sony and Honda's car brand, Afeela.
Everything We Know About The New Afeena EV
Although interested customers could have access to pre-orders as early as the second half of 2025, the initial Afeela will be a four-door mid-sized sedan that most likely reaches American customers in 2026. Thus far, the partners kept most of the details and features hush-hush, but TechCrunch revealed that Sony and Honda intend to build the EV at Honda’s North America factory. Also, the new electric vehicle will have “Level 3 automated driving capabilities under limited conditions.” Meanwhile, Yasuhide Mizuno revealed the Afeena EV will come equipped with safety and driver assistance systems from Honda, while Sony will provide the entrainment and interactive features. CNN notes that in addition to focusing on driving dynamics and performance, Honda and Sony have also prioritized software and user interface technology.
The 45 cameras and sensors inside and outside the vehicle that safeguard the driver and passengers are one of the vehicle's most exciting features. Meanwhile, the car monitors the driver’s status through in-cabin sensors. This way, the automaker could prevent more accidents. Additionally, there are some nice surprises in the prototype for fans of entertainment and technology. The interfaces for the vehicle are designed by Afeela using Epic Games' Unreal Engine graphics software. “In addition to movies, games, and music, we envision a new incabin experience using our expertise of UX and the UI technologies,” said Kenichiro Yoshida, the CEO of Sony.
Afeena EV: The New Electric Vehicle Is Entering A Very Competitive Segment
Evidently, Afeela plans to introduce an electric vehicle in a highly competitive industry; thus, if it wants to succeed, it requires a vehicle that is truly exceptional. To that end, the alliance with Sony appears to be successful, given that the Japanese multinational conglomerate business has expertise in telecommunications and entertainment software and technology. In the past, automakers built some of the most incredible vehicles thanks to joint ventures between unexpected companies. Let’s not forget the Chevrolet Nova that was built by General Motors in partnership with Toyota or the Fiat 124 that was the product of a joint venture between Fiat and Mazda.
To be fair, the automotive industry has undergone a tremendous transformation in recent years as a result of digital investments, sustainability, and technical advancements. This means that what worked a few years ago may not still function now. As a result, automakers must constantly develop and use cutting-edge technologies. In other words, joint ventures between different automakers, such as those between General Motors and Toyota or Fiat and Mazda, are no longer novel because these businesses use similar technologies and have a comparable level of knowledge and experience. Consequently, automakers must be more creative. This is especially true now when traditional automakers need to compete against EV manufacturers like Tesla that act more like software companies.
Moving forward, more car manufacturers will probably decide to acquire AI companies and tech startups or enter partnerships with tech, entertainment and software firms to take advantage of their know-how in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and robotics. German luxury automaker, Mercedes-Benz, for example, partnered with NVIDIA, a global leader in artificial intelligence. Together, they intend to build a ground-breaking in-vehicle computing system and AI computing infrastructure. Meanwhile, BMW partnered with Amazon on vehicle data software, according to Automotive News Europe. BMW also collaborated with Qualcomm Drive.
“Arriver, BMW, and Qualcomm will be jointly developing a software stack designed for level 2 ADAS and level 3 Autonomous Driving (AD),” says Forbes. “The effort combines BMW’s level 2 AD stack, Arriver’s Vision Perception and NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) Drive Policy, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Ride platform.”
Sources: Sony, TechCrunch, CNN, NVIDIA, Forbes, Automotive News Europe