Proper now, China’s electrical automobile sector is delivering a era of recent automobiles so high-tech that they make among the finest rides in America appear like no matter hooptie you drove in highschool. They’re electrical, crammed with screens and software program options, and related. Right here’s an incredible instance: the Xiaomi SU7, the primary EV from the smartphone large, which set China on fireplace with its high-tech and modern design and bought 135,000 items in its first full 12 months.
It’s clear that if Japan, Europe, and the U.S. wish to compete, corporations might want to staff up and construct the sorts of high-tech autos China already has—and quick. That’s precisely what Sony and Honda goal to do with their new luxury-tech EV model, Afeela. Underneath a three way partnership referred to as Sony-Honda Mobility, the Afeela model plans to launch its first automotive, a $60,000 luxurious sedan, in 2026.
You might acknowledge this idea—Sony and Honda debuted it at CES 2024, with buyer orders set to open this 12 months. Afeela has additionally promised an SUV and a less expensive mannequin down the road. And an up to date model of the prototype is set to debut at CES 2025 this night.
Forward of that occasion, InsideEVs was invited to take a look at a prototype of that first mannequin in New York, and I used to be curious to get a have a look at it: Did it work? Is that this strategy to EVs one thing Individuals might be serious about, and might the 2 corporations really deliver it to fruition?
At first look, the Afeela seems just like the generic-drug equal of a Lucid Air, or maybe a contemporary incarnation of a Saab 9-5. Both method, it’s modern and inoffensive. However inside is the place issues get thrilling. Up entrance, a curved, high-res show stretches from one side-view mirror to the opposite (in some markets, the Afeela gained’t have mirrors in any respect, simply cameras.) You may drag and drop maps, music menus, films, and video games from one facet to a different, and the front-seat passenger can watch a film with out glare distracting the driving force. After all, there are Sony tablets mounted to the seatbacks in order that passengers within the surprisingly spacious again seat can preserve themselves entertained, too.
Earlier than anybody asks: Sure, you possibly can play Fortnite within the Afeela, however solely when the automotive is stopped. The consultant couldn’t inform me whether or not gameplay required a close-by wi-fi connection to a PS5 (driveway at dwelling) or whether or not a extra distant connection was potential (workplace car parking zone throughout a lunch break), however I’d need to think about it’s the latter. That grew to become a theme: I’d ask for particulars on a function, and would obtain a solution of “keep tuned.”
Today, Sony could not carry fairly the high-tech smartphone model cachet of an Apple—or a Xiaomi—however its units have undeniably modified realms of private leisure. The Walkman turned bringing music with you right into a pocket-sized proposition, whereas the PlayStation continues to be probably the most profitable line of gaming consoles ever produced. Pair that client intuition with Honda’s engineering may and Sony’s veritable treasure trove of a content material library, and issues get promising.
Constructing automobiles is difficult, particularly in at the moment’s panorama of unsure tariffs. Afeela clearly has a methods to go earlier than the rubber meets the highway. I’m rooting for Sony and Honda although, as a result of this idea exhibits a real intent to compete with China in methods nobody else has.
Try the total video above for extra on the Afeela’s tech. Do you assume it may succeed right here?
