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Sony Honda Mobility

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Sony Honda Mobility Inc.
Native name
ソニー・ホンダモビリティ株式会社
Sonī Hondamobiriti Kabushikigaisha
Company typeJoint venture
IndustryAutomotive
FoundedSeptember 2022; 2 years ago (2022-09)[1]
HeadquartersTokyo Midtown East, 9-7-2, Akasaka,
Minato, Tokyo
,
Japan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Yasuhide Mizuno (Representative Director, Chairman and CEO)
  • Izumi Kawanishi (Representative Director, President and COO)
ProductsAutomobiles
BrandsAfeela
Owners
Websitewww.shm-afeela.com

Sony Honda Mobility Inc. (Japanese: ソニー・ホンダモビリティ株式会社, Hepburn: Sonī Hondamobiriti Kabushikigaisha) is a Japanese joint venture automotive company established by Sony Group Corporation and Honda Motor Company in 2022 to produce battery electric vehicles.[2] The company will market its vehicles under the Afeela (Japanese: アフィーラ, Hepburn: Afīra) brand.[3][4][5]

The company plans to take pre-orders in the first half of 2025 and deliver the first cars to customers in North America in spring 2026. Production of the vehicle will take place at one of Honda's plants in the U.S.[6]

History

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In January 2020, Sony revealed its first electric sedan prototype at the 53rd Consumer Electronics Show. The vehicle was called the Sony Vision-S. According to the company, the Vision-S incorporates Sony's imaging and sensing technologies. In contrast, Sony's artificial intelligence, telecommunication, and cloud computing technologies enable the continued updating and evolution of the vehicle's features.[7] A second concept car, an electric SUV was unveiled in January 2022 at the 55th Consumer Electronics Show as the Vision-S 02, while the original concept was retroactively renamed to Vision-S 01.[8]

In April 2022, Sony established Sony Mobility Inc. as their mobility service arm.[9]

In March 2022, Sony and Honda signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen the discussion and exploration of forming a strategic alliance between the two companies.[10][11] In June 2022, while still in the process of negotiating the details of the partnership, both companies announced that their joint venture company would be called "Sony Honda Mobility Inc."[12][13] The company was led by Yasuhide Mizuno,[14] who served as the head of Honda's China division until 2020.[15]

The company was officially announced through a press conference on October 13, 2022.[16] According to the company, it aims to become a software-oriented "Mobility Tech Company".[17]

On January 5, 2023, the company revealed its first electric vehicle prototype under the brand name Afeela at the 56th Consumer Electronics Show.[18] The prototype was a four-door sedan that was planned to be produced in the U.S. in 2026. The car features Level 3 automated driving capabilities under limited conditions.

Models

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Afeela prototype

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Afeela prototype at Japan Mobility Show (2023)

Revealed in January 2023, the Afeela prototype is a four-door sedan that will be available for pre-order in the first half of 2025, while initial shipments will be delivered to customers in North America in the spring of 2026. It has 45 cameras and sensors inside and outside the vehicle to ensure its safety and security. At the same time, Qualcomm's system-on-a-chip technology, including their Snapdragon digital chassis, will be used by the vehicle, while the cockpit and software architecture has been enabled by Elektrobit Automotive, who also collaborated with Sony on software and UX for the Sony Vision-S, the electronics giant's first prototype. The car will be manufactured at one of Honda's North American plants. The company will also integrate Epic Games' Unreal Engine, a 3D computer graphics game engine, into their vehicles to help visualize in-car communication, safety, and entertainment.[19][20][21]

The Afeela prototype also appears as a playable vehicle in Gran Turismo 7, added to the game in version 1.46.

References

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  1. ^ "Sony Honda Mobility". Sony Honda Mobility Inc. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  2. ^ Sugiura, Eri; Lewis, Leo (2022-11-20). "Sony-Honda venture plans to tap entertainment prowess for its electric cars". Financial Times. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  3. ^ Valdes-Dapena, Peter (2023-01-05). "Sony and Honda reveal their car brand, Afeela". CNN. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  4. ^ Blanco, Sebastian (2023-01-05). "Afeela Is a New EV from Sony and Honda Coming to the U.S. in 2026". Car and Driver. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  5. ^ Hawkins, Andrew J. (2023-01-05). "Sony and Honda just announced their new electric car brand, Afeela". The Verge. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  6. ^ "Sony unveils prototype EV, Afeela, to be made with Honda". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  7. ^ Chan, Mick (2020-01-07). "Sony Vision-S concept car unveiled at CES 2020; dual-motor powertrain, provision for Level 4 self-driving - paultan.org". Paul Tan's Automotive News. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  8. ^ Fink, Greg (March 2, 2020). "Is This Crossover SUV Sony's Next Drivable PlayStation?". Motor Trend. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  9. ^ "Establishment of Sony Mobility Inc". Sony Group Portal - Sony Global Headquarters. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  10. ^ Hill, Joshua S. (2022-03-09). "Honda and Sony to deliver first EV by 2025 in new joint venture". The Driven. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  11. ^ "Sony and Honda Sign Memorandum of Understanding for Strategic Alliance in Mobility Field". global.honda. 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  12. ^ "Honda and Sony Sign Agreement for New EV Joint Venture Brand". Car and Driver. 2022-06-16. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  13. ^ "Sony and Honda Sign Joint Venture Agreement to Establish New Company". Sony Group Portal - Sony Global Headquarters. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  14. ^ Nagata, Kazuaki (13 October 2022). "Sony-Honda alliance aims to deliver first EV in 2026". Japan Times.
  15. ^ Keohane, David; Inagaki, Kana (21 July 2024). "Japanese carmakers 'very scared' by China's rapid EV development". The Financial Times.
  16. ^ "Sony Honda Mobility Inc. Established. – Move people, through the pursuit of innovation with diverse inspirations. –". shm-afeela.com. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  17. ^ Bellan, Rebecca (2022-10-13). "Sony and Honda envision an EV that entertains while it takes the wheel". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  18. ^ Dayaram, Sareena (5 January 2023). "Sony and Honda Drive New Electric Car Afeela Onto the CES Stage". Cnet.
  19. ^ Bellan, Rebecca (2023-01-05). "Sony and Honda reveal Afeela, their joint EV brand, at CES". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  20. ^ Neff, John (2023-01-05). "Sony And Honda Name Their New EV Car Brand Afeela, Show Prototype". InsideEVs. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  21. ^ Leggat, David (2023-02-08). "Elektrobit software fitted to Sony Honda prototype". JustAuto. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
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