Sony has teamed up with Honda to introduce its first electric vehicle (EV), the Afeela sedan, which is set to hit the market in the US and other areas by 2025.
Partnership Details
The Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) collaboration has revealed that the Afeela brand's inaugural EV will come equipped with Tesla's NACS connector straight from the factory. This feature will allow the vehicle to utilize Supercharger networks available in the US and Japan, which are the initial markets for the car.
Max de Zegher, Tesla's Director of Charging, expressed his enthusiasm for this development, noting that in Japan, 90% of chargers with 150 kW capacity and above are Superchargers. Therefore, it makes sense for SHM to be the first car manufacturer to adopt NACS ports in the country.
Market Transition
In the US, several Japanese automakers have also announced plans to transition to NACS, with the latest being Honda as it embarks on its journey as an independent EV manufacturer. Other brands making the switch include Toyota, Nissan, and Lexus.
Preorders for the Afeela sedan are expected to begin in the first half of the year, with sales launching later in 2025. Initial deliveries in the US are projected to occur in early 2026.
Unique Features
During the CES 2024 expo in January, SHM's COO showcased the vehicle using a PS5 DualSense controller, hinting at an extensive integration with the PlayStation 5 ecosystem for buyers of this performance-oriented electric sedan.
Izumi Kawanishi from Sony stated, “Sony has content, services, and entertainment technologies that move people. We are adapting these assets to mobility, and this is our strength against Tesla since Tesla is not providing any content services.”
In addition to its PlayStation integration, Sony has partnered with Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, to utilize Unreal Engine for mixed-reality rendering while the vehicle is in AI-assisted autonomous driving mode. The Afeela EV will feature an impressive array of 45 cameras and sensors, including interior sensors, Time-of-Flight (ToF) depth sensing units, and a LiDAR system.
Innovative Communication
Alongside its entertainment features, Sony's vehicle will include a Media Bar located at the edge of the hood, which will allow the car to communicate with people nearby through light, enhancing interactive communication between the vehicle and its surroundings.
Final specifications and pricing for the Afeela sedan, developed in collaboration with Honda, have yet to be disclosed by Sony.
