Verizon and KDDI partner to connect Sony Honda Mobility’s high-tech electric vehicle AFEELA News Release

What you need to know:

• Verizon is the first mass-produced electric vehicle telematics and connectivity provider under the AFEELA brand in the U.S. through a long-term partnership with Japan-based carrier KDDI.

• AFEELA, a brand of Sony Honda Mobility (SHM), is a high-tech software-defined electric vehicle with advanced sensing technology, AI capabilities, and connected features.

New York, NY and Dallas, TX — Verizon and KDDI today announced plans to partner to bring cutting-edge connected car features to the first U.S. production electric vehicle under the AFEELA brand.

The partnership will enable cellular connectivity and advanced mobility features for the first AFEELA mass-produced electric vehicle in the U.S. using Verizon’s 5G and 4G LTE networks and KDDI’s global communications platform that supports car connectivity.

Sony Honda Mobility’s new brand “AFEELA” was announced at CES® 2023. AFEELA utilizes mobility as an intelligent entity, sensing and network IT technology, and expresses an interactive relationship where you can “feel” people and society. The mass-produced model is scheduled to go on sale in 2025, with deliveries in North America starting in spring 2026.

Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) was established by the Sony Group and Honda in September 2022 for the purpose of jointly developing and selling high-value-added electric vehicles (EVs) and providing mobility-related services. SHM is pioneering a new era in mobility as a mobility tech company that pursues innovation with diverse inspiration.

Through our EV and service brand AFEELA, we pursue mobility as a creative entertainment space using AD/ADAS that utilizes hardware and AI befitting a premium brand. To achieve this, consistent vehicle-to-network connectivity is key, and unprecedented high-throughput, low-latency wireless networking is essential. We are excited about the strong partnership between KDDI and Verizon to deliver quality products and services for connected cars in the United States,” said Kojiro Okabe, Executive Vice President, Sony Honda Mobility Corporation. .

“We are excited to combine the power of our global communications platform and the Verizon network to redefine the connected car market in the United States. We look forward to launching connected services for new AFEELA vehicles starting with first delivery. ” he said. KDDI America, Inc. CEO Satoshi Oishi: “We are honored to be able to contribute to a project that aims to create a future where electric vehicles connect all over the world.”

“AFEELA vehicles represent the always-on, software-defined, all-electric future of transportation, and we couldn’t be more excited to work with them and KDDI to build that future on the Verizon network in the U.S. I couldn’t be more excited,” said TJ Fox. , Senior Vice President, IIoT and Automotive, Verizon Business.