Proper now, China’s electrical automobile sector is delivering a era of recent automobiles so high-tech that they make a few of the greatest rides in America seem like no matter hooptie you drove in highschool. They’re electrical, full of screens and software program options, and linked. Right here’s an ideal instance: the Xiaomi SU7, the primary EV from the smartphone large, which set China on fireplace with its high-tech and glossy 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 workforce up and construct the sorts of high-tech autos China already has—and quick. That’s precisely what Sony and Honda intention to do with their new luxury-tech EV model, Afeela. Beneath a three way partnership generally known as Sony-Honda Mobility, the Afeela model plans to launch its first automotive, a $60,000 luxurious sedan, in 2026.
It’s possible you’ll 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 take a look at it: Did it work? Is that this strategy to EVs one thing People might be fascinated by, and may the 2 corporations truly deliver it to fruition?
At first look, the Afeela appears to be like just like the generic-drug equal of a Lucid Air, or maybe a contemporary incarnation of a Saab 9-5. Both means, it’s glossy 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 received’t have mirrors in any respect, simply cameras.) You’ll be able to drag and drop maps, music menus, motion pictures, 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 hold themselves entertained, too.
Earlier than anybody asks: Sure, you may 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 house) or whether or not a extra distant connection was doable (workplace car parking zone throughout a lunch break), however I’d need to think about it’s the latter. That turned a theme: I’d ask for particulars on a function, and would obtain a solution of “keep tuned.”
Today, Sony might not carry fairly the high-tech smartphone model cachet of an Apple—or a Xiaomi—however its gadgets have undeniably modified realms of non-public leisure. The Walkman turned bringing music with you right into a pocket-sized proposition, whereas the PlayStation continues to be essentially the most profitable line of gaming consoles ever produced. Pair that shopper 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 right now’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 reveals a real intent to compete with China in methods nobody else has.
Take a look at the total video above for extra on the Afeela’s tech. Do you suppose it may succeed right here?
