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After five years of development, the vehicle will first only be available for purchase in California.
The car is now available for pre-order.
Sony and Honda have partnered to create the‘Afeela,’a new electric vehicle (EV), whichwill be available for pre-order today, January 7, 2025, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The Verge reports that the vehicle, which has been in development for the past five years, willonlybe available for purchase in Californiaat first.
Here’s All About Afeela
According to Sony Honda Mobility, the company established as a result of the joint venture, theAfeela will be available in two trim levels: the Afeela 1 Origin, which will cost $89,900 (about Rs 77 lakh), and the Afeela 1 Signature, which will cost $102,900 (roughly Rs 88 lakh).Thespecifics of how to purchase and own an Afeelawill also be revealed by Sony Honda Mobility today.
A free three-year subscription to a range of in-car services, such as thecompany’sLevel 2+ driver assist and an AI-powered personal assistant, will also be included withboth ofthese trim levels. In addition to its built-in capability forTesla’sSupercharger network, it has an estimated Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) range of up to 300 miles.
As perreports, the Afeelaonly looks to beavailable in‘Core Black’now.Customers can expect a quicker delivery for the more costly Signature trim, which will begin in 2026, while the less expensive Origin trim will have to wait until 2027.
Furthermore, the electric vehicle also has 40 sensors and cameras that enable semi-autonomous driving assistance, all-wheel drive, screens that span thedashboard’swidth, and perhaps even a glimpse of augmented reality integration and‘virtual worlds’thatare integratedinto the driving experience.
Even more impressive is that Yasuhide Mizuno, CEO of Sony Honda Mobility, called the car onto the stage by speaking into his phone,“Come on out, Afeela.”He had also stated that it was a“tech demo for this showcase,”soit’suncertain ifvoice commands will be used.
The Sony Vision concept, first presented in 2020, led to the creation of the Afeela.Since then, the demand for EVs has increased, decreased, and stabilised;China has emerged as a major producer of EVs, forcing Honda to combine with Nissan to better compete; andthe Biden administration in the US offered generous incentives for EV buyers, which the incoming Trump administration is likely to remove, the report claims.
