Sony and Honda's new EV is packing the technological punch against rivals like Tesla.
Related: ChatGPT partners with a major legacy automaker in bold new unveil
Following the reveal of Sony Honda Mobility's Afeela concept car at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show, the Japanese partnership unveiled an updated version at CES 2024 yesterday, which packs a suite of new tech that sets it apart from the EV landscape.
The exterior of new Afeela reflects some changes to make the car more production-ready, such as updated styling and lights. However, the true highlights of the updated Afeela prototype lie in the interior, where new tech seeks to connect with motorists to enhance their driving experience.
Like the Tesla (TSLA) -), SHM's sedan also features a unique yoke-style steering wheel and is dominated around large, centralized screens, but that is where the similarities end.
Sony Honda Mobility
Sony (SONY) -) and Honda (HMC) -) have partnered with Epic Games (TCEHY) -) to develop a new and unique in-car infotainment system powered by Unreal Engine 5. The use of the same powerful game engine behind popular video games like Fortnite allows for Sony and Honda to provide drivers with complex 3D maps that simulates environmental conditions outside of the car, such as pedestrians, other vehicles and hazards using augmented reality technology.
Sony Honda Mobility
As if all that technology was not enough, SMC has partnered up with Microsoft (MSFT) -) to create what it calls a "conversational personal agent," a voice assistant which will be powered by Azure OpenAI.
Additionally, SMC announced another aspect of the car's PlayStation connection. It is partnering with Polyphony Digital, the studio behind the popular Gran Turismo video game, to help engineer both the real-life car and the one drivable in Gran Turismo 7 on the Playstation 5.
SMC says that the Afeela is powered by a 91-kWh battery that sends juice to dual motors, providing 483 horsepower. No range figure has been given, but the partners said that the car can be fast charged at up to 150 kW.
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SMC plans on accepting orders for the Afeela starting in 2025, with deliveries in the U.S. to begin in 2026.
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