Afeela, the electric vehicle developed by Honda and Sony (HNDAF) , made its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 4.
You may be wondering about that name, but Sony Honda Mobility, a joint venture announced last year, said that Afeela represents “feel,” which, the company said "is at the center of the mobility experience."
The name did receive some pushback on social media.
"What a laughably terrible name," one person tweeted.
"Handsome-looking vehicle, and the (minimal) details sound interesting," another person said. "Needs a real steering wheel and to ditch that *horrible* name…"
"Man, I don’t know about naming the brand “Afeela”," another tweet read, "but I am super intrigued with what Honda and Sony are attempting to do here in terms of technology going into the vehicle."
Yasuhide Mizuno, CEO of Sony Honda Mobility, unveiled a prototype of the vehicle that he said "demonstrates a new relationship between people and mobility."
Preorders Start in 2025
As far as safety and security, Mizuno said the prototype was equipped with a total of 45 cameras and sensors inside and outside the vehicle, together with 800 TOPS of maximum computing power for ECU.
The vehicle's exterior features a “Media Bar” which, the company said, "allows intelligent mobility to express itself to surrounding people using light, enabling interactive communication between mobility and people".
The company said it wants to provide intuitive navigation through augmented reality using its sensing technology.
In addition, Sony Honda Mobility said it is "exploring new entertainment possibilities through digital innovations such as the metaverse" and is working with Epic Games, the video game and software developer and publisher behind "Fortnite."
Production of the vehicle will take place at one of Honda’s 12 plants in the U.S.
The company will start taking pre-orders in the first half of 2025, commence sales by the end of 2025, and begin delivery in North America during Spring 2026.
Sony Honda Mobility said it intends to develop Level 3 automated drive under limited conditions and to enable Level 2+ driver assistance in even more situations such as urban driving.
Honda No Stranger to Electric Vehicles
Level 3 involves technology that allows drivers to engage in activities behind the wheel, such as watching movies or using smartphones, but only under some limited conditions.
Level 2+ includes functions where the vehicle systems are essentially driving, but the driver is still required to monitor the vehicle and be ready to step in if needed.
Last year, Honda launched the Legend, a luxury sedan equipped with the world's first certified level 3 autonomous driving technology.
The model's Traffic Jam Pilot system, which was approved by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, can free drivers from driving in congested traffic on an expressway when traveling slower than 50 kilometers per hour.
Some auto industry analysts have expressed concerns about drivers growing complacent with Level 3 vehicles and being too slow to react in the event of an emergency that the car's safety system cannot handle.
Honda is not new to the EV market, having produced its first take on an electric vehicle all the way back in 1997 with the Fit EV-Plus, or the Honda EV Plus, as it's more commonly known.
The company also made an electric version of the Honda Fit hatchback in 2012, the space-age-inspired MC-β in 2014, and the Clarity Electric in 2016.
