Skip advert
Advertisement

Afeela saloon is an EV from the makers of Fortnite, Gran Turismo, ChatGPT… and the Honda Civic

New Afeela saloon has been previewed as a joint venture between Honda and Sony, with help from Epic Games and OpenAI

Afeela saloon - front

A prototype of the Afeela saloon has been revealed once again at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the product of a joint venture between Honda and Sony with a little help from Epic Games and OpenAI.

No, it isn’t a real-life Fortnite Battle Bus, nor is it a souped-up Honda NSX Gran Turismo racing car. When it reaches production, it will be a luxury electric saloon from the all-new car brand, Afeela.

Advertisement - Article continues below

A future rival to the growing roster of posh electric saloons which currently includes the Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, Lucid Air and Porsche Taycan, the Afeela saloon was first displayed at last year’s CES, but has since undergone a variety of changes in its journey towards reaching production.

The exterior of the car is characterised by (surprise, surprise) front and rear LED light bars. Unlike the version shown last year, the latest iteration of the Afeela saloon now features traditional door mirrors instead of cameras, like those fitted to top-spec versions of the Hyundai Ioniq 6.

Afeela saloon - interior

Perhaps more exciting, however, is the sheer amount of revolutionary technology that Afeela looks to bring to the forefront of the automotive industry. To kick off the presentation, Afeela’s CEO, Izumi Kawanishi, drove the concept onto stage using a Playstation 5 controller – a clear indicator of Sony’s work on this project.

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

On the inside, things are more ‘Honda’ than ‘Horizon: Zero Dawn’, with the Afeela getting a similar dashboard-wide infotainment setup to the Japanese giant’s first electric car, the Honda e. This is controlled via a touchscreen, as well as BMW iDrive-style rotary dial in the centre console, and is hinted to be powerful enough to play full Playstation video games on.

Speaking of gaming, Fortnite developer, Epic Games, has been put in charge of the Afeela’s infotainment software, making use of its lauded Unreal Engine software. When the production model arrives, drivers will be able to make use of augmented reality navigation, as well as several other downloadable apps and games. Afeela has also said it’s working with Microsoft to make use of its its new Azure OpenAI software. Using framework developed by OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, this technology is being used to develop a ‘conversational’ virtual assistant.

Afeela saloon - rear

Powering all of this is a 91kWh battery pack, as well as a pair of electric motors which produce 482bhp. No range or performance figures have been detailed as of yet, although Afeela has stated the production car will get at least 150kW DC rapid charging capabilities.

All of this might seem a bit space-age but it’s not quite as far away as you might think; we expect the customer-ready Afeela to go on sale in the U.S in late 2025, with first deliveries occurring soon after. There’s no word as to whether the Afeela saloon will make its way across the Atlantic to the UK, although if it does we doubt it’ll arrive before the hotly anticipated Polestar 5, which is expected to launch sometime before the end of 2025.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Hello there, I’m Tom Jervis and I have the pleasure of being the Content Editor here at DrivingElectric. Before joining the team in 2023, I spent my time reviewing cars and offering car buying tips and advice on DrivingElectric’s sister site, Carbuyer. I also continue to occasionally contribute to the AutoExpress magazine – another of DrivingElectric’s partner brands. In a past life, I worked for the BBC as a journalist and broadcast assistant for regional services in the east of England – constantly trying to find stories that related to cars!

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Gridserve’s new lab aims to boost electric car charging point reliability
Gridserve laboratory
News

Gridserve’s new lab aims to boost electric car charging point reliability

24 Jul 2024
Original Nissan Leaf owners “dumped” after remote app features terminated
Nissan Leaf
News

Original Nissan Leaf owners “dumped” after remote app features terminated

4 Mar 2024
iPhone, iPad, iCar? Apple’s self-driving EV is still in play!
Apple Car
News

iPhone, iPad, iCar? Apple’s self-driving EV is still in play!

25 Jan 2024
Huge Apple CarPlay update brings custom dials to EVs like the Porsche Taycan
Apple CarPlay - Porsche
News

Huge Apple CarPlay update brings custom dials to EVs like the Porsche Taycan

20 Dec 2023

Most Popular

​Top 9 best small electric SUVs 2024
DrivingElectric best small SUVs
Best cars

​Top 9 best small electric SUVs 2024

Small electric SUVs are steadily increasing in popularity thanks to low running costs, practicality and more choice. We run down the best ones for 202…
2 Oct 2024
Where can I buy hydrogen and where is my nearest hydrogen filling station?
hydrogen filling station
Your questions answered

Where can I buy hydrogen and where is my nearest hydrogen filling station?

A guide to where you can find hydrogen fuel stations in the UK
30 Sep 2024
Top 10 best plug-in hybrid SUVs 2024
Best Plug-in Hybrid SUV
Best cars

Top 10 best plug-in hybrid SUVs 2024

Not ready to go electric but want low running costs? These plug-in hybrid SUVs offer the best of both worlds
26 Sep 2024