Consumer electronics giant Sony and automaker Honda, which partnered last year to develop and produce electric vehicles, have announced the name of their new car brand: Afeela.
The two giants announced their first car innovation during the Consumer Electronics Show. Sony Honda Mobility CEO Yasuhide Mizuno, who led the unveiling of the company’s first car prototype, which looks like a mid-size sedan, offered minute details about the vehicle.
“At the core of this mobility experience is the word ‘feel,'” says Mizuno, explaining that it focuses on feeling and interacting with people.
Honda safety and driver assistance systems, as well as Sony 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 cars, 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 called the media bar. The bar will allow the vehicle to display information and interact with people outside the vehicle, Mizuno said.
Internally, the company is working with Unreal Engine graphics technology from Epic Games, the company that produces Fortnite, to design the interface for the vehicle. Unreal Engine technology has also been used by other car brands, including General Motors, which uses it in the Hummer EV.
However, the Afeela won’t be available for order or purchase until 2025, with first deliveries in North America not taking place until 2026.