SEATTLE — Sony Honda Mobility, which is working to raise awareness of the joint venture’s upcoming Afeela brand, has brought a prototype to the door of one of the world’s largest companies, Amazon.com Inc.
The Afeela prototype was on display the week of September 9 in an airy space nestled between Amazon headquarters and the Spheres, a visually striking array of three glass domes.
The electric vehicle will use cloud technology from Amazon Web Services.
Ozzie Morrow, marketing partnerships manager at Sony Honda Mobility, said the brand has arranged private demonstrations for Amazon employees to experience the electric vehicle’s technology and its numerous interior screens.
“It’s a great idea for them to come see the car in person on their own campus and get some feedback from employees,” Morrow said.
The company also held a networking event in Seattle to allow senior Amazon executives to talk to Sony Honda Mobility, Morrow said.
Sony Honda Mobility has done similar demonstrations at Qualcomm, Sony Pictures and Sony North America, Morrow said.
As part of a marketing partnership with the Los Angeles Dodgers this summer, Sony Honda Mobility put a prototype of the Afeela on display at Dodger Stadium.
Morrow said Sony Honda Mobility plans to make more appearances at the prototype site in the future.
The venture unveiled its EV prototype at CES in 2023 and said pre-orders would begin in 2025, with deliveries starting in spring 2026. It is expected to be built at a plant in Ohio, the center of Honda’s U.S. manufacturing presence.
Sony Honda Mobility has not yet revealed how it plans to sell the Afeela vehicles.