CES: Sony and Honda present car

Sony and Honda unveiled the prototype of an e-car they developed together at this year’s CES. The e-sedan will be marketed under the Afeela brand and is expected to hit the market in 2026.

Sony and Honda joint project

Sony and Honda established a joint venture some time ago, under the name Sony Honda Mobility. Now a result of the cooperation was presented in Las Vegas. Sony is responsible for the artificial intelligence used in the vehicle as well as for sensors and entertainment functions, while Honda developed the hardware. However, the vehicle presented here is not the first prototype to result from the collaboration. Sony and Honda already presented two prototypes at last year’s CES. The vehicle presented now builds on these.

Autonomous driving as a goal

The declared goal of the two companies is to develop a vehicle that can use the latest technical possibilities in the field of autonomous driving. For example, Sony and Honda are aiming for Level 3 automation on highways and Level 2 automation on all other roads. On highways, the vehicle would not require human attention in this case. On other roads, it could also drive completely autonomously, but human attention would be mandatory. To make all this possible, 45 cameras and sensors are used in the vehicle. These are operated with a computing power of up to 800 TOPS.

Not an SUV

Contrary to the general trend in electric mobility, Sony and Honda have not designed an SUV. Rather, the vehicle is a sedan just under five meters long, with a body similar to classic mid-size vehicles. With sensors, the vehicle is 1.9 meters wide and 1.46 meters high. Typical for e-vehicles is the rather long wheelbase of 3 meters. Other striking features are the relatively large windows and the planned all-wheel drive. Information on the engine is not yet available – which is hardly surprising in view of the technical developments expected in this area over the next three years.