Sony Used a PS5 Controller To Drive Its New EV On Stage At CES

The Afeela is now a near-production prototype. Assembly starts in 2025.

Sony Afeela PS5 Controller

Adrian Padeanu

By: Adrian Padeanu

Updated: Jan 9, 2024 at 6:10am ET

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Sony and Honda became partners in 2022 when the Japanese giants announced plans to work together on an EV. The duo has since established a new company, plainly named Sony Honda Mobility, and their first car is the Afeela. The EV was baptized at last year's CES, and now a closer-to-production version debuted this year.

But the best part of the debut was how Sony brought the car on stage at CES. Izumi Kawanishi, President and COO of Sony Honda Mobility, used a Playstation 5 controller to "drive" the updated Afeela on stage in front of crowds at CES.

Watch the video below:

It might not have a catchy name, but the Sony Honda Mobility Afeela does look interesting. The swoopy electric sedan now has traditional side mirrors instead of cameras, along with a slightly redesigned front bumper with a spoiler lip. The sweptback headlights have a curvier shape than before while the pillars seem thicker than on last year's prototype. At the back, a black piece of trim has been added above the license plate, and there's a new element protruding from the bumper.

Originally unveiled as the Vision-S concept at CES 2020, the Afeela has gone through even more changes inside. The screen-heavy cabin now boasts a different rearview mirror, a discreetly revised yoke-like steering wheel, and dual smartphone wireless chargers. There also seems to be a camera atop the dashboard that keeps an eye what the driver is doing.

2024 Sony Honda Mobility Afeela prototype

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As for technical specifications, the Afeela has a dual-motor setup granting an all-wheel drive setup. The front and rear motors each deliver 241 horsepower to the respective axles and draw their juice from a 91.0-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Owners will be able to recharge the battery using DC at up to 150 kilowatts while AC charging is going to top out at 11 kW.

The Sony Honda Mobility company will open order books for the Afeela in 2025 when production is scheduled to kick off. North American deliveries are earmarked for early 2026, but you'll be able to drive the Afeela (virtually) in Gran Turismo 7 with an update this year.