Japan’s telecom giant Sony has been planning on entering the electric vehicle market for a while now. The 2023 CES finally housed the Sony Afeela EV. Partnerships are the foundation of the Sony Afeela EV and this car is being made along with Honda. The tech is coming from Qualcomm, a company that has also been actively looking for a place in the mobility sector. Today, let’s talk about the Sony Afeela EV!
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What is the Sony Afeela EV?
Back in 2020, Sony showcased the Vision S at the CES and it was a representation of what a car from Sony would look like. In 2022, Sony announced its partnership with Honda to create the Afeela brand. Yes, Afeela is the name of the brand, not a single car. However, as of now, the Afeela is a standalone product. It looks like a proper EV with a minimalistic yet detailed design, plain body panels, and an emphasis on lights and technology. Afeela will focus on building premium EVs that provides a comprehensive package of in-car entertainment and fully autonomous driving. 
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What’s the tech like on the Sony Afeela EV?
Tech hardware will be sourced from an industry leader, Qualcomm. The Snapdragon digital chassis will be used at the base of this car’s tech, which will focus heavily on autonomous driving. Sony will also put in a lot of resources on in-car entertainment, and will include video and audio subscription packages. This may seem very elaborate, but with autonomous driving, it makes sense to provide extra entertainment in the car.
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Why partner with Honda?
Honda has been waiting to properly launch a premium brand. The Acura series wasn’t a big hit and Afeela is Honda’s next chance here. With EVs and autonomous driving being the future, this is a pretty good bet for Honda. In the meanwhile, Honda will also be working on other EVs along with General Motors, but these will be for the larger, mass-production markets. 
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Where will the Sony Afeela EV stand?
As mentioned, Afeela is being promoted as a premium brand, and it will compete with brands like Mercedes Benz, BMW, Audi, Volvo, Tesla, etc. No technical details about the Sony Afeela EV have been revealed yet, and the estimated pricing is also a secret.
All in all, the Afeela brand sure looks interesting. Yes, this is Sony’s first venture in the automotive industry, but they have Honda’s support. Moreover, Sony is an extremely capable company in itself, and their products have been known to be of very superior quality and are very reliable. The Afeela EV is expected to launch in 2026.
What do you think about the Sony Afeela EV? Let us know in the comments below!
