Sony is now in its fifth year of showing off its next electric car at CES press conferences, which we learned last year will be named AFEELA and will hit the market in 2026. That’s what it means.
This year’s press conference focused primarily on Sony’s new car software plans, along with the latest buzzwords related to AI.
To summarize, the AFEELA concept was originally stated to have a 400kW (536hp) dual motor all-wheel drive, 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 240km/h (149mph). As far as we know, these are still the specs Sony is aiming for. There’s no information on pricing or battery size yet, but since this car has two years left, prices will surely come later.
Sony focuses on automotive sensing and infotainment systems and focuses on electronics expertise. Like almost all electric vehicles launched these days, AFEELA will be equipped with a wide range of sensors for potential self-driving tasks.
And inside the car, Sony believes its consumer entertainment experience will allow it to offer better infotainment. The company hopes to implement continuous over-the-air software updates, and has released interior photos of large displays in both the front and back seats, offering PS5-level performance for in-car gaming. It seems to show that it can be done (potentially Tesla is cashing in on the $100,000 gaming device market).
But lest you think this is just an electronics company dreaming up a product to get more attention at a CES conference presentation, Sony is trying to show that it’s serious about building this car. We have taken the following measures. The company has already partnered with Honda to form Sony Honda Mobility. Interestingly, Sony, not Honda, receives the highest payout in this partnership, perhaps reflecting the Japanese automaker’s hesitancy towards any EVs.
New details about AFEELA – or not.
At today’s press conference, Sony brought Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe on stage to talk about partnerships and how mobility is experiencing a “once in 100 years” transformation. However, he never used the word “electric” in his speech. .
Next, Yasuhide Mizuno, CEO of Sony Honda Mobility Corporation, took the stage and spoke about the in-vehicle software experience. He started by demonstrating the software-defined nature of the car by driving it on stage using a PS5 controller.
But don’t get too excited. He said it was “intended as a stage showcase only.”
Nevertheless, this demonstration shows that cars are increasingly being defined by software rather than hardware. With detailed software control over vehicle functions, over-the-air updates can change some characteristics of the driving experience and improve the vehicle over time.
But it also means that these vehicles may have software issues, perhaps more severe than the vehicles they were experiencing before they became software-driven.
Sony says the software-defined nature of cars will turn them into “digital playgrounds” for creators to invent new in-car experiences. Here’s an example of a game where you can render a vehicle in a simulated world alongside an escaped Godzilla-like monster and earn points for capturing it.
The company also said it wants to “foster a creative community between users and creators” with “access to vehicle data” to “bring unique ideas to life.” Frankly, this sounds a little Orwellian, but it wasn’t particularly helped by the fact that it brought on afterwards. “Big Brother” Microsoft I went on stage to announce a partnership that had something(?) to do with AI. To be honest, I’ve heard enough AI buzzwords this year that I’m a little confused by this part.
And Sony ended the press conference with no new details about pricing, batteries, an SUV version that hasn’t been seen since it debuted two years ago, or a repeat of a previously announced 2026 release date. .
Below is a replay of the entire conference (AFEELA’s presentation starts at 34:23).
Electrek’s view
When Sony surprised everyone with its Concept EV in 2020, we thought it was a little crazy. everyone It looks like they are currently showing off a concept EV. We’ve seen many concept EVs over the years with varying levels of seriousness.
Sony’s product could have been one of the less serious ones…but it wasn’t. It seemed relatively sophisticated and reasonable, and didn’t make as many outlandish claims as others said.
At the time, we thought there was a pretty good chance this would actually happen, and since then, Sony has gotten a step closer to actually launching this car every year. An original concept, some road tests, an SUV variant (currently only shown once and hasn’t appeared for two years in a row), a partnership with Honda, and a product name and production date (at least a reasonable one). Seven years have passed since development of this car began, and each time we hear about it, we see more progress.
Of course, they’ll be talking about this car by the time it comes out. Seven If this trend continues, there will be a CES conference as well. Sure, making cars is a big change for a company that has focused on consumer electronics, but for now, they’re maximizing the value of the concept. I know I gave you credit for taking the time to work on it, and that credit is valid, and it’s nice to have updates and stuff like that…but it’s still a lot for one car. Several press conferences are required.
In contrast, Apple, another consumer electronics company rumored to be developing a car, has never talked publicly about it. Personally, I’ve always thought it was unwise for Apple to get into cars (remember Tim Cook’s famous quote?)All of Apple’s products fit on this one table‘ presentation), so I’m skeptical that this will actually happen, but it’s a clear contrast to Sony’s approach in its press strategy.
And that was perhaps especially evident this year. Previous presentations have included meaningful new information over previous years, but this one seemed more thorough to me. Last year’s technology buzzword was AI, and every company wants to connect their image to that in some way, including: NVDA has.
So I was a little disappointed in this press conference. I wasn’t expecting much because Sony has already shown off this car many times and frankly he doesn’t need to show it off 7 times before it’s released.
But anything about AI just leaves a bad taste in your mouth. This is a car. Please tell me how it works as a car. It’s no good just throwing around buzzwords.
Yes, being software defined is good and can enable new experiences and even make the car better over time (I experienced this with an early Tesla Model 3, but first It’s a better car now than when it was delivered). This could free us from the traditional annual renewal cycles that have fueled car overconsumption for more than half a century.
But hunting dinosaurs in a car and having creators snoop on vehicle data is just plain weird. So instead of trying to be another “EV for gamers”, let’s focus on the car (this is totally coming from someone who plays too many video games).
Either way, we’re really looking forward to trying this when it’s ready. Hopefully next year, but that’s Sony’s last chance to do so before the 2025 pre-order schedule for the release of the 2026 model.
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