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Sony and Honda Think the Future of Cars Is a Big Screen and Gaming Sony ruled the portable audio market with the Walkman, but that was before Steve Jobs introduced the iPod. Sony needs a new "perfect thing," so could it be a car developed with Honda that is bristling with enough infotainment and ADAS safety features to capture the tech geeks? Maybe, but said car is pricey. Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) is betting that consumers will be so enamored of the Afeela 1 four-door hatchback sedan (initially offered only in EV-friendly California, but in Arizona also next year) that they'll be willing to pay $102,900 for the top-end Signature version of the car, initially the only trim available. The entry-level Origin ($89,900) is coming in 2027, and both choices include a three-year subscription to the onboard technology, including 5G. There's no date yet for a 50-state Afeela, but Japan gets the car in the first half of 2027. Read more here. |
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The Lucid Gravity Robotaxi for Uber Is Ready to Roll The Uber robotaxi version of the Lucid Gravity electric SUV, planned to cruise San Francisco's streets for passengers later this year, is certainly imposing. It's a big vehicle to begin with, but in this form, it bristles with LiDARs, radar, and extra cameras on a roof-mounted ski-rack-type module and a spoiler overhang in the back. There's even high-resolution cameras sticking out of the front fenders. The Lucid robotaxi, sold in an edition of 20,000 over six years to Uber, is a joint enterprise announced last summer with Nuro, which is fielding the Level Four system (Nuro Driver) powered by an NVIDIA Drive AGX Thor computer program. The production-intent robotaxi was shown at an NVIDIA event January 7 as part of CES. Read more here. |
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The Donut-Shaped Motor That Wants to Change EVs "In terms of performance per kilogram, Donut Lab's in-wheel motors have more torque and power density than any others in the world. Our donut-shaped coils and magnets are thinner than anyone else's, with benefits in power and also in packaging," said Marko Lehtimäki, CEO and co-founder of this out-of-nowhere Finnish company. The 17-inch version of the motor will be available in 55- to 150-kilowatt versions, with up to 885 lb-ft of torque, but will weigh only up to 46 pounds (21 kg). In-wheel motors have long been favored by EV planners and go all the way back to the Lohner-Porsche at the turn of the 20th century, but seldom make it beyond the prototype stage. A major concern, said Sam Abuelsamid, an analyst with Telemetry, is whether the high-voltage lines from the motors will stand up to constant up-and-down, side-to-side motion, as well as whatever the road can throw at them. Read more here. |
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  | https://link.autoweek.com/oc/60751dea6d1a7f51693f313dpvkhb.r7w/d21b36ff |
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