Sony Drives Its Afeela EV Onto CES 2024 Stage With PlayStation Controller (Image: Sony Honda Mobility)
At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024, where the transformative technology makers and innovators show off their latest releases, Sony Honda Mobility surprised the audience with an unconventional stunt. Sony Honda Mobility has unveiled the latest prototype of the AFEELA electric car at CES 2024. Notably, the company president and COO, Izumi Kawanishi, drove the Afeela EV on stage using Sony”s own PlayStation 5 Dualsense controller.
The Afeela EV, developed jointly by Sony and Honda, was also revealed at previous CES events. Sony Honda Mobility says that they aim to revolutionize how people move by redefining the relationship between people and mobility. Meanwhile, Izumi Kawanishi mentioned at the event that controlling Afeela with a PlayStation is not a real feature. The COO said that this was just a tech demo.
Sony today controlled their EV at CES with a PlayStation controller. pic.twitter.com/ZnTeeGKkiw
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 9, 2024
The Afeela EV measures 4,915 mm in length, 1,460 mm in height, and 1,900 mm in width. It also has a longer wheelbase of 3,000 mm. Orders for the Afeela may open in 2025, and it is expected to be on American roads by 2026. However, the company has not yet revealed the pricing of the Afeela EV. The vehicle is expected to be packed with numerous technological features, including artificial intelligence capabilities.
At the same time, Sony Honda Mobility has also announced collaborations with Microsoft, Epic Games, and Polyphony Digital. The automaker has entered into an agreement with Microsoft to create a conversational personal agent using the Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service. This means Afeela is likely to include a Microsoft-backed, voice-enabled personal mobility agent. Sony Honda Mobility has collaborated with Epic Games to use Unreal Engine and develop an augmented reality experience with the infotainment and navigation systems of the Afeela sedan.
