Sony and Honda have joined forces for a new kind of electric vehicle under the brand name Afeela.
Axios describes the Afeela prototype as a "handsome electric car" and an example of vehicles that are "computers on wheels." The car includes features like AI, augmented reality, and virtual reality.
As more cars become electric and autonomous, the futuristic passenger experience will become increasingly important, and this includes the implementation of the right software in each vehicle.
Regardless of features, the transition to electric vehicles should happen sooner rather than later.
Of all the sources of harmful industrial air pollutants in the U.S., which are also harmful to human health, about 30% are from the transportation industry.
Studies have shown that even though batteries required for electric cars have a larger carbon footprint than those used in gas cars, electric vehicles are still much better for the environment in the long term.
Luckily, the automobile industry continues to evolve toward a more electric and less polluting future while also implementing special features.
The Afeela comes with an array of interesting features, such as a touch-screen dashboard that extends the width of the car and offers full-screen movies, PlayStation 5 remote play with a controller (for passengers or to use when parked), music, and navigation.
It also has facial recognition technology, which has become common in the recent wave of electric vehicle production, along with exterior screens on the front grille, which can display the weather, charging status, or even the score of a sports game.
Afeela isn't the only car brand that is implementing these kinds of technologies, either. TCD recently reported that the luxury auto brand Genesis announced that its GV60 electric SUV can now be operated using cutting-edge biometric technology.
"Afeela represents our concept of an interactive relationship where people feel the sensation of interactive mobility and where mobility can detect and understand people and society by utilizing sensing and AI technologies," Sony Honda Mobility CEO Yasuhide Mizuno said, as reported by The Verge.
The vehicle's exterior will be equipped with more than 40 sensors, including cameras, radar, ultrasonic, and lidar, which will significantly enhance its capability to detect objects and operate autonomously, per The Verge.
Sony Honda Mobility, the joint venture responsible for the Afeela brand, intends to begin order placements in 2025, and deliveries within the United States are scheduled to start in 2026.
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