- The venture between Sony and Honda aims to deliver its first electric vehicles by early 2026 in North America.
- Sony unveiled a prototype of the new “Afeela” electric vehicles it will build together with Honda, saying it would harness its vast entertainment content as it looks to become a player in next-generation cars.
On Wednesday, Qualcomm launched a new processor, the Snapdragon Ride Flex SoC, that handles both assisted driving and cockpit functions, including entertainment. Previously those functions were handled on different chips, and bringing them together can help bring down costs. Yashuhide Mizuno, the chief executive of Sony Honda Mobility, told the trade show that “In order to realise intelligent mobility, continuous software updates and high-performance computing are required to that end, we will work closely with Qualcomm.”
Sony is also looking to harness its traditional strengths in sensors. Mizuno added that Afeela will be equipped with more than 40 sensors and will use the “Unreal Engine” 3-D creation tool from Epic Games, the maker of the “Fortnite” series of games. However, for Honda, the venture with Sony may allow it to speed up what has so far been a slow shift to electric cars. It has also struggled over the years to make gains in the luxury vehicle market with its Acura brand. The venture between Sony and Honda aims to deliver its first electric vehicles by early 2026 in North America.