Sony and Honda's concept car has come to the stage.
The two companies' joint venture, Sony Honda Mobility Inc. (SHM), revealed its first concept electric vehicle, along with all its features, during CES 2023.
SHM expects to sell its first EV before 2025 ends, with the company delivering it to the US in Spring 2026. Meanwhile, it will start making deliveries to Japan in the second half of the same year.
SHM AFEELA Electric Vehicle Features
SHM's first concept car, branded the "AFEEL," is an EV combining Sony and Honda's expertise in entertainment technology and automaking, respectively.
According to the company's announcement, the AFEELA represents "FEEL," which is at the center of the mobility experience the car brings to its driver and passengers.
Accordingly, the AFEELA's design is meant to create new value standards for mobility, embodying the shifting of a car's elements from power and performance to software, networks, and user experiences.
The AFEELA is a sedan with a "Media Bar" that not only shows the car's logo but also interacts and shares information with people, such as the weather for that day or the car's battery life, per CNET.
Unlike most sedans, though, the AFEELA's rear is more akin to a hatchback in that it curves gently rather than going on an angle like most of its type.
Meanwhile, the interior wraps its drivers and passengers in a soft, comfortable cocoon designed to be as simple and minimalistic as possible to create a "people-centric experience."
SMH didn't say much in the way of the AFEELA's specifications true to the company's goals, but it did give a few pointers about it. For instance, it currently has a level 2+ automated driver assistance while it develops its level 3 automated drive.
For those unaware, Level 3 automated drive provides the driver limited driving automation, per Synopsis. As such, the driver should still be attentive and alert behind the wheel to wrest control back from the EV's computer and correct its heading if necessary.
It also has 45 cameras and sensors around the vehicle's exterior and interior to detect the driver and car's situation to help avoid accidents.
The car's sensors include radar, ultrasonic, and lidar, enhancing its ability to detect objects and drive as independently as possible.
SMH AFEELA Software
Cameras and automated driving aside, the AFEELA comes with Qualcomm Technologies' Snapdragon Digital Chassis to run its key features, including AD/ADAS*5, HMI/IVI*6, and telematics.
Additionally, SMH is collaborating with Epic Games to bring its Unreal Engine into the AFEELA to visualize not only onboard entertainment like movies, games, and music but also communication and safety, per Tech Crunch.
Kim Libreri, EPic Games' chief technology officer, mentioned that the Unreal Engine could provide "the most natural way to visualize important data within the car through intuitive interactive photo real augmentation," which the engine does best.
