Latest news with #Afeela1
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
What is the Sony Honda Mobility Afeela 1?
The Honda & Sony Afeela 1 (pronounced Ah-Feel-a) is the first of several proposed vehicles coming from the two companies' recent partnership. After doing some research, the best way to describe the Afeela 1 is that it's like an EV met a cellphone, with a heap of video gamer details, wrapped in an audiophile a bit much, so let me break it down for you. Placed on top of a 91 kWh battery, the all-wheel drive (AWD) Afeela 1 should be able to join the 300-mile-range club. It should make approximately 480 horsepower from its two 180 kW electric motors and will have a NACS-capable charger that will run up to 150 kW with DC fast charging. Factory air-ride suspension will be standard, as well. The whole thing is wrapped in a simple yet attractive package that makes it look like something BYD would build—which is not a bad thing. It straddles the size of a Tesla Model S and Model 3, and Sony Honda stated that it will be built at Honda's upcoming EV Hub in Ohio in 2026. So far, the Afeela 1 seems kind of "meh" right? Well, that is about to change. You see, Sony Honda built this to be an electronic oasis, if you will. It's a place where you can play PlayStation games, watch movies, interact with the latest AI, and hear sound like never before. The vehicle's built-in AI will learn your likes, dislikes, moods, idiosyncrasies, and more, with enough computing power to make this car an artificial companion of sorts. It looks like the builders want you to spend a LOT of your time in this vehicle. The Sony Honda Afeela 1 is supposed to support level III autonomous driving, meaning it should be able to get you to some destinations without much user input. This usually indicates that the setup can navigate larger roads and highways, while you have to man the controls when in congested or uncharted of piloting, Honda Sony fell into the trap of using a yoke instead of something resembling a steering wheel. That's no bueno for many consumers, not to mention that the steering wheel sits next to multiple massive screens spanning the length of the dashboard. While the dimensions have yet to be released, the Afeela will likely feature a 12-ish-inch cluster screen combined with one or two companion screens for infotainment and passenger entertainment. The rear passengers get their own sizable infotainment screens on the back of the front seats' headrests, and a reasonably sized rear seat as well. The Sony Honda Afeela 1 is set to have a price tag of around $90,000. That puts it in a fairly premium segment of the EV segment where it will compete with models from well-established brands. Honda isn't exactly known for premium vehicles either, and Sony is a newcomer in the automotive space. Whether the promise of cutting edge entertainment in your car is enough to woo customers remains to be seen. Love reading Autoblog? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get exclusive articles, insider insights, and the latest updates delivered right to your inbox. Click here to sign up now!
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Afeela Will Woo EV Shoppers, but Not All at Once
The Afeela brand opens a studio in a Los Angeles mall, welcoming EV shoppers until August 1 of this year. The not-inexpensive electric sedan promises a range of about 300 miles, but the main event will be the Sony tech inside offering movies, games, and music. The electric sedan will be available only in California, at least initially. Sony and Honda's Afeela experiment is inching steadily toward reality, with plans to begin deliveries in California sometime by the middle of 2026. But finding out firsthand just what Afeela plans to offer hasn't been easy for prospective EV buyers, perhaps even those who've already bought an EV online sight unseen. The newly-formed brand has now opened what it calls a Studio in LA's Westfield Century City mall, and it's the first time that its inaugural sedan, dubbed Afeela 1, and all the Sony tech inside have been shown to the public in the city. This will be the first real opportunity for the new brand to convince buyers to spend close to six figures on a body style that has been represented well enough by other brands, but one that won't come with a Honda or Acura badge. The Afeela Studio will only remain open for until August 1, with the company now accepting $200 refundable deposits for the sedan. Needless to say, this is a rather limited and temporary footprint for a brand that plans to begin deliveries next year, even though Los Angeles is certainly a hot EV market. Pricing for the sedan had been revealed not too long ago, with the Afeela 1 Signature wearing a $102,900 sticker, though a more affordable Afeela 1 Origin that will land in 2027 will require $89,900. Both trims will be powered by a 91-kWh battery pack sending juice to two 241-hp motors at each axle. The company says that this setup will yield about 300 miles of range, though we won't know the official EPA numbers for some time, likely until 2026. Perhaps more important than the pure range or horsepower numbers will be what is likely the main value proposition in sea of similarly sized and similarly-priced electric sedans. Afeela plans to woo buyers with several screens hosting movies, games, music, as well as Sony's 360 Spatial Sound Technologies system. An ADAS system dubbed Afeela Intelligent Drive will also be on board, along with a voice-activated personal assistant, though both will require subscriptions. Still, upon launch in 2026 Afeela, will remain a California-only experiment, in a strange way echoing another past Honda sedan that was only available in a handful of West Coast states, and one that remains largely forgotten. The Clarity EV, which was offered for two years starting in 2017, was Honda's midsize electric offering for a short period of time, but one that had been obsolete arguably upon arrival with a range of only 80 miles. Afeela has seen a relatively quick progression from concept to something approaching a production-ready model, so the tech and perhaps the range still promise to be relevant in 2026. But we have to wonder just how much real-world demand in only one US state the brand will be able to generate with a six-figure electric sedan in 2026, especially given the fact that the Honda Prologue is offered on a much wider scale. California is still the country's largest EV market, but it's difficult to picture sales volumes exceeding the mid-four-figures if the sedan stays confined to the Golden State. And the segment itself has already been showing signs of creaking under the weight of all the current choices and their price tags. Honda isn't pinning all of its hopes on the Afeela sedan, with plans to introduce a range of EVs on its own e:Architecture platform in the coming years after borrowing GM's Ultium platform for the Honda Prologue and its Acura twin. Will Afeela be able to set itself apart among its competitors when it arrives in 2026, or are there too many choices in this segment for it to stand out? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Sony teases first of-its-kind EV collaboration packed with high-tech features: 'Revolutionize the travel experience'
This electric vehicle will feature some of the most advanced self-driving technology on the market. Sony and Honda have been developing a brand-new EV, and it's expected to hit the market next year. The Sony-Honda Afeela 1 is an electric sedan equipped with a personal AI agent, high-quality spatial audio technology, a customizable interior, and the North American standard charger. The car even has a screen that can display its charging status, a short message, and "real-time weather, traffic, sports results, and trending information," per Sony-Honda Mobility. Perhaps the most notable attribute is the sedan's self-driving technology. The Afeela is equipped with "a total of 40 sensors, including 18 cameras, 1 LIDAR array, nine radar sets and 12 ultrasonic sensors," according to InsideEVs. The Afeela 1 starts at $102,000, making it one of the most expensive EVs out there. A cheaper version will be released a year later, priced at $86,000. The average cost of a new EV is around $50,000, and that is significantly declining each year. And while these tech features are innovative and promising, the EV doesn't quite measure up in terms of range and charging speed. With an estimated 300-mile range and 150-kilowatt charging speed, "the Afeela 1 [is] far behind many modern EV competitors, especially around that price tag," per InsideEVs. Reserving the upcoming EV will cost $200, though that fee is refundable. Interestingly, Afeela is only taking reservations from California residents. Driving an electric vehicle can save you hundreds of dollars a year on gas. The average EV driver saves "around $116 each month by switching to an EV," SaveOnEnergy calculated. If you're looking for an exact figure, the Department of Energy offers a free tool to help you calculate just how much you'd save on gas by switching to an electric vehicle. Would you trust a self-driving car on a busy city street? Definitely No way Depends on the brand Depends on the situation Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Plus, EVs are much better for the environment than their gas-powered counterparts. Electric vehicles emit no tailpipe pollution, unlike gas-powered cars, which produce nearly 30% of the United States' planet-warming gas emissions. And though the production processes for EVs do use resources, they're still far more sustainable than that of gas automobiles. Yasuhide Mizuno, chairperson and CEO of Sony Honda Mobility, believes the car will "revolutionize the travel experience." "We are very pleased to unveil AFEELA 1, developed for the era of autonomous driving," Mizuno said. "... AFEELA 1 can be called a buddy, combining advanced software with meticulously refined hardware. We will meet our customers' expectations by providing a safe, secure, and comfortable travel experience." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
