By CHIHAYA INAGAKI/ Staff Writer
January 7, 2025 at 18:33 JST
LAS VEGAS—Sony Honda Mobility Inc. has begun accepting orders for the debut model of its electric vehicle brand, Afeela, in the United States.
The Afeela 1, equipped with partially autonomous driving technology and advanced multimedia entertainment features, will have a starting price of $89,900 (14.1 million yen).
The announcement was made on Jan. 6 by the company's chairman, Yasuhide Mizuno, at the annual CES technology trade show in Las Vegas.
The first Afeela prototype was unveiled at the CES in 2023.
The joint venture between Honda Motor Co. and Sony Group Corp. plans to begin shipping the vehicle to U.S. customers in 2026 before launching it in Japan.
Afeela 1's autonomous driving technology falls under "Level 3" of SAE International's categorization system spanning levels zero to five, with this classification indicating drivers can take their hands off the wheel on highways.
The car can also play high-quality video and audio for movies and games along with integrating Microsoft's conversational artificial intelligence technology.
Featuring a sleek body and interior, the latest Afeela prototype sports a dashboard almost entirely covered by multiple touchscreens.
With the ability to connect to a karaoke service and Sony PlayStation 5 controller, the space feels more like an entertainment hub than a car.
Sony's history as an entertainment giant is on full display in this attempt to revolutionize how people travel.
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The Afeela dashboard features multiple touchscreens, providing a variety of entertainment options. (Kenta Nakamura)
