The new electric brand of Sony Honda Mobility is finally confirmedAfeela's first electric RV debuts together

●The new brand name comes from the word "Feel"

●Cooperated with the game giant Epic Games to create the cockpit and HUD interface

●Based on the Honda e:Architecture platform, it will be officially put into production in 2026

●SUV, MPV, and even a second RV product will come out in the future

In recent years, the issue of electric vehicles has been overwhelming, and all the big hills are gearing up to actively prepare for the market. Not only the traditional car manufacturers, but also the semiconductor manufacturers or consumer electronics overlords want to get a piece of the pie. This trend is at CES International Consumer Electronics The exhibition is even more clear, and the latest example comes from Sony and Honda. The new electric car brand Afeela and its first electric car jointly produced by the two companies can be said to have their own brilliance in the venue.

I have heard the sound of the stairs for a long time, and the new brand of Afeela is finally confirmed

It was news almost a year ago that Sony and Honda were about to cooperate to develop a new electric vehicle. In fact, Sony, the leader in consumer electronics, had vowed to create a new electric vehicle product earlier, and it will continue to be held at the 2020 and 2022 CES International Consumer Electronics Two concept cars, Vision-S 01 and Vision-S 02, were announced at the exhibition, but they were almost silent after that, and were almost forgotten in this rapidly changing era of explosive information.

Finally, at the CES International Consumer Electronics Show in 2023, Sony Honda Mobility, a joint venture company formed by Sony and Honda, officially released the new electric vehicle brand Afeela. Dare to shout, but to pursue the new brand name of Afeela, the origin of its idea comes from the word "Feel". Its meaning not only refers to the viewers' feelings about the car, but also symbolizes the experience that can be achieved between people and technology. All the emotions on it.

The spirit of Vision-S 01 continues, and the first prototype RV is unveiled

In addition to the announcement of the new electric brand Afeela this time, Sony Honda Mobility must also have more specific works placed on the high platform as the focus of the spotlight. This first electric prototype car whose name is still unknown is actually a bit surprising. Because it is not based on the current mainstream SUV or CUV that almost cuts off all the tributaries, but on the contrary, it is called to compete in the blue ocean market with the layout of Coupe-like medium and large RVs. But looking back, there are actually traces of this state. Isn't the Sony Vision-S 01 concept car from China a streamlined sedan with four doors?

Ever since, the brand-new Afeela electric RV with a length of 4895mm, a width of 1900mm, a height of 1460mm, and a wheelbase of 3000mm was presented to the world. According to the specifications, the size of this new car is roughly similar to that of a Volkswagen Arteon Fastback. Of course, it also has the neat body of a 4-Door Coupe. The detailed design draws a lot of elements from the Vision-S 01 Concept, and adopts the minimalist lines commonly used in electric vehicles. Outlined, even the door handles are abandoned, and even the Media Bar on the front of the car has the ability to communicate and display charging information, so as to present a sci-fi feeling like an alien flying saucer, but I personally think that it is actually quite similar to a Japanese conceptual sports car in the 90s State, remember the Subaru SVX or Toyota Celica circa 1990? Is it quite similar to this Afeela electric RV in strokes?

Follow Epic Games to create a more exciting car life

In addition to the visual design aspect, the new Afeela electric caravan is not only the first work of Sony Honda Mobility, but also the human-vehicle interface. As the basis for the inductive door opening, the configuration of the electronic exterior mirror also allows the center console to have two rear-view small screens on the left and right, and one of them is the performance field that traverses the long main screen of the center console, thus forming a The control and information display center of the whole car, in front of it is a steering wheel with a cut-out design similar to Tesla Yoke, through 45 sensors and camera lenses, and then use Qualcomm processor to calculate, and jointly achieve Level 2+ and even some Level Level 3 convenience of automated driving assistance.

And since it is mainly led by Sony of the well-known game platform PlayStation, the information of Afeela's new car can not be ambiguous at all. In addition to the rear seats are also equipped with two front seat-back monitors on the left and right, it is also in cooperation with the game manufacturer Epic Games The cockpit and HUD interface were jointly created, which not only have communication, audio-visual, network and other functions, but also have an extremely powerful entertainment experience. After the official launch, not only can directly enjoy the sensory stimulation of PlayStation 5 and many games in the car, but also Being able to connect to the metaverse directly to the virtual world, as for the augmented reality display interface that is currently concerned by the car industry, it is bound to be more exciting on the new car.

Based on the e:Architecture platform, it will be officially launched in 2026

The basic architecture adopted by this new car will undoubtedly be based on the e:Architecture platform dominated by Honda. Regardless of the new car or platform, it will be officially announced in 2026. The only thing that can be confirmed is that the new car will be manufactured in Honda's new factory in the United States when it is officially released in 2026, and will continue to be sold in North America, Japan and Europe.

At the same time, according to the tone set by Sony Honda Mobility, the Afeela brand will aim at creating high value, rather than creating a new luxury brand to challenge rivals. Of course, high value also symbolizes the high price that may follow. Does it reflect The wisdom of Afeela and Sony Honda Mobility will be tested in the future planning and pricing strategy of grades.

The beginning is not just the beginning, there will be new models one after another

So in addition to the first prototype car, as a new electric car brand, what kind of ambition and vision does Afeela have? Regarding this part, Yasuhide Mizuno, chairman and CEO of Sony Honda Mobility, said that there will be SUVs, MPVs and even a second RV product to come out. "If we only launch one car in five years, everyone won't remember the Sony Honda Mobility!" Mizuno said.

And just as the first prototype car is a relatively non-mainstream sedan sedan, Afeela’s next new car may be an MPV. As the chairman and CEO said, what kind of new car to develop is actually related to The research and development progress of autonomous driving is quite related. If one day it develops to Level 3 or even Level 4 autonomous driving technology, what people want more may not be an SUV, but a big car that can directly party in the car. MPV is also a possibility. It seems that the idea of ​​bypassing SUVs and developing other models is still lingering in Mizuno-san's mind, and whether it really makes Afeela the one that even thousands of people would go for it and dare to reject SUVs. New brand, let us wait and see...