At CES 2024, Sony wowed audiences once again by showcasing its latest EV prototype, the Afeela. During the demonstration, Izumi Kawanishi, the COO of Sony Honda Mobility, took the stage to drive the car using a PlayStation 5 DualSense controller, all for the purpose of showcasing its tech prowess.
While specific details about the Afeela’s features weren’t disclosed by the company, we got a glimpse of what to expect in terms of appearance and functionality. This feature-rich vehicle boasts a remarkably large ultrawide dashboard screen that spans the width of the car, complemented by an additional screen integrated into the bumper.
Known as the ‘Media Bar,’ the bumper screen was shown in a video displaying various information, such as warning signs, birthday messages, battery status, and logos from popular Sony titles like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition, and Epic Games’ Fortnite.
The dashboard screen, divided into two sections, spans the car’s width. (Image Source: Sony Honda Mobility)
The Sony Afeela utilizes Unreal Engine 5.3 to present graphical content on its extensive ultrawide dashboard display. Beyond serving as an instrument cluster, this display doubles as an infotainment system capable of playing games, streaming movies, and facilitating AR navigation. Moreover, the software is employed to simulate environments used in training the car’s multi-camera driver assistance systems and enhancing the EV’s driver aid capabilities.
During the demonstration, the Japanese tech giant introduced a new game called ‘Monster View,’ showcasing a portion of the road on the dashboard alongside virtual creatures, encouraging drivers to interact while driving.
Furthermore, the Afeela might feature a novel function named ‘Smart Entry,’ allowing automatic unlocking and opening of doors when the owner stands in front of the vehicle. The video also exhibited Sony’s ‘Advanced Driver Assistance Systems,’ enabling the car to autonomously navigate turns, park, detect road obstacles, change lanes, and stop at pedestrian crossings. Additionally, it boasts Spatial Audio support and a distinctive noise-cancelling system.
Anticipated for its debut around 2026, details regarding the Afeela’s availability and pricing remain undisclosed. Sony has been diligently developing electric cars, starting with the Vision-S 01 prototype in 2020, followed by its successor, the Vision-S 02, in 2022.