Could Sony's upcoming brand Afeela challenge automobile giants like Tesla in the electronic vehicle market?

Sony revealed their new brand, Afeela, and their upcoming electric vehicles in partnership with Honda during their presentation at CES 2023. In an event where most brands showcase their life-changing products, this could be a big step for the two Japanese tech giants to compete together in the ever-expanding market.

Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular due to the environmental benefits they offer, as they do not produce any emissions and are more energy-efficient than their traditional counterparts.

It is no wonder that there is a lot of competition in the field of self-driving vehicles, and brands like Tesla are massively ahead of their competitors.

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Afeela is the new self-driving car in town

Sony unveiled a prototype of their new self-driving electric vehicle in a joint venture with Honda. A silver sedan with a glossy black roof was presented to the audience.

"Together with our partners and creative communities, we plan on exploring the possibility of how media bar can create a fun and exciting mobility interaction." -CEO Yasuhide Mizuno, Honda

The companies also announced that their intelligent mobility technology will be powered by the powerful chipset maker Qualcomm Technologies, and the automotive experience will be enhanced by Epic Games.

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Features

The electric vehicle by Afeela will be equipped with 45 sensors, including ultrasonic, lidar, power hinge radar, ultrasonic, and cameras for their self-driving technology, which will be rooted all over the interior and exterior of the vehicle.

The Inca cameras will be able to detect the condition of the vehicle and the driver to ensure the prevention of any accidents. It will have a media bar embedded between the front lights, which consumers can interact with and use to share information with people in nearby vehicles.

Mizuno also stated that the companies are trying to provide entertainment in the form of games, music, and movies using Sony's technology. The Snapdragon Digital Chassis will help the vehicle connect to the cloud.

Epic Games is using the advanced technology of Unreal Engine to enhance the automotive experience by improving visual communication, safety, as well as entertainment.

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Price and launch

While there is no information about the specific price range, it can be assumed that the range will be in the same ballpark as the offerings from premium car manufacturers such as Tesla, Lucid Motors, BMW, Audi, and Mercedes Benz.

Sony stated that the software is expected to offer subscription services, which means that vehicle owners may be able to enjoy some optional features by paying a monthly or yearly fee.

Mizuno further stated that Afeela will start mass production of the prototype and is planning to accept the preorders for the first model during the first half of 2025 and start sales in the same year.

The first shipments will be delivered to North America in Spring 2026, followed by Europe and the rest of the world at a later date.

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Conclusion

Afeela has promised several features and safety measures with its collaborations with some of the biggest technology leaders. Further improvements and testing of prototypes may make it possible to produce more efficient and safe AI-controlled cars in the future.

The newest entry may not be able to give same level of competition to the market leader Tesla. However, Afeela is expected to do better in the coming years with value-for-money pricing and upgraded vehicles.