Afeela is the newest EV company to come out of the ever expanding Asian automotive market. The company is a new venture between two Japanese giants of industry, Sony and Honda. Japan has long been a good view point to look at future technology. The new company seeks to combine the knowledge and electric efforts of the two companies into one. Sony has been a global leader in the technology industry for generations now. Honda have led the engine manufacturing and research sector since it began. The new Afeela will have a lot riding on its electrically powered wheels.
What is the history of Sony and Honda in the EV sector?
The alternative fuel sector has become the standard for some of the highest levels of human engineering. The EV emerged seemingly out of nowhere and the public flocked to it like a hungry pack of wolves. The EV became the must have for all the climate conscious drivers of the world. The governments of the world embraced the electric future and welcomed the change.
Honda began its electric adventures way back in the 90’s. They began testing the technology and released a number of hybrids over the past few decades. Their hybrid engines proved to be a successful move away from the ever harmful fossil fuel industry. They have recently announced another partnership with GM to produce hybrids for the American market. However, Afeela is very different.
Sony have been at the forefront of the tech industry for a long time now. Their products were revolutionary and sold in huge numbers around the world, making them a household name. Their adventures into cars has been limited however. They released a concept vehicle called the Vision-S that was a fully electric SUV for the public to buy. It must have not gone well considering what they have now done.
What will the new Afeela look like and feel like to drive?
The new partnership between the two Japanese giants certainly looks promising. Afeela’s flagship concept car has been unveiled and it has the world amazed. The sleek and minimalistic design looks like something out of the Jetsons (ask your parents). The car is the latest step in the EV sector and features three main principles that the company swear by. Autonomy, augmentation, and affinity.
Autonomy comes in the form of the safety tech on the car. Sony have 45 cameras and sensors around the vehicle to enable conditional Level 3 automated driving. This along with Honda’s new safety tech will promise autonomy like never before. Honda launched the first production vehicle with Level 3 automation last year and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
The augmentation comes in the form of the fancy dashboard and interior. The huge screen covers the width of the car in front and was developed with Epic Games to utilize the 3D capabilities of Unreal Engine to aid in the implementation of AR. Something Afeela plans to explore furhter with Meta. Utilizing the new AR technology that exists in the world today. The world is changing at a rapid pace. The affinity will be determined by their public success.
Will Afeela be able to make a significant entry into the EV sector?
The EV market is a bit dangerous at the moment. The problems at Tesla have been mounting over the past few months and there is no time like the present to propose an alternative. BYD have showed that it is possible to challenge Tesla’s dominance if you enter the market in the correct manner, at the correct time. Afeela has all the design and manufacturing chops to make a significant impact on the automotive sector overall, not just the EV market. Whether they can do that is up to their benefactors, Sony and Honda.
