Sony blurred the lines between the road and home entertainment yesterday as it unveiled a prototype electric car called the Afeela.
The new brand is a joint venture with Honda and encapsulates a vision that the car will become more of a leisure space as automation advances.
The Afeela will have 45 cameras — radar, ultrasonic and lidar — 14 of which are on the outside to detect objects and drive autonomously. The front of the car includes a media bar that enables it to communicate with other road users and pedestrians.
Sony, which owns a film studio, music label and PlayStation gaming division, was keen to emphasise its vision of the car as an entertainment hub. It earlier gave details of the forthcoming film of its Gran Turismo gaming franchise, showing greater collaboration between its divisions.
Yasuhide Mizuno, head of Sony Honda Mobility, said: “We aim to achieve industry-leading automated drive and advanced driver assistance systems. And, of course, we also intend to provide best-in-class entertainment for our customers — movies, games and music.”
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The announcement was made at the CES technology conference in Las Vegas.
Mizuno also introduced a collaboration with the games company Epic, which makes Fortnite.
Kim Libreri, chief technology officer of Epic, said: “In the future, the automobile will become a next-generation destination for social connectivity, not only for the occupants but also their network of friends and colleagues. It will become a continuum of our digital lives. Given Sony’s experience and expertise in entertaining and delighting people across the planet. We know they’ll come up with some incredible ways to capture the imagination.”
Sony is an investor in Epic.
Afeela will start taking orders in 2025 and the first cars will be delivered in the US in 2026. No pricing was given but it is expected to be a premium car rivalling Tesla, BMW and Mercedes.
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Sony has said that it expects to offer subscription services for entertainment and features.
Afeela will have level 3 automated driving, at which the car drives but with human override, and it will be offered “under limited conditions”. Level 2 driver assistance — at which the car steers and accelerates with human monitoring — will be available in more situations, including urban driving.
Leo Gebbie, an analyst with CCS Insight, said: “Sony’s joint venture into the car market with Honda is a real marker of the level of overlap between the technology and automotive sectors. Smart capabilities in a car is increasingly the norm and people expect their car to keep them connected — and their passengers entertained ��� on the go.
“We expect that Sony will look to build on its rich heritage in entertainment as it tries to differentiate in an extremely competitive market. It will be fascinating to see whether other technology companies without a history in the automotive market also decide this new opportunity is worth pursuing over coming years, and whether more partnerships are struck with car makers.”
Sony also announced that it would have more than 30 games available when the new PlayStation VR2 headset goes on sale next month.
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The company also suggested that the worldwide shortage of its gaming console the PS5 could be coming to an end. “Everyone who wants a PS5 should have a much easier time finding one at retailers globally, starting from this point forward,” said Jim Ryan, head of Sony Interactive Entertainment.
