Want a digital license plate? The Sony Afeela 1 will be the first car to offer one – and you'll be able to add your Instagram handle

• Sony Honda Mobility partners with Reviver to create digital license plates
• Customers can swap background colors and add text
• The RPlate costs around $900 (around £670 / AU$1,350)

Sony’s debut Afeela 1 electric vehicle is perhaps one of the longest-standing features of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, with the Sony Honda Mobility saloon seemingly rolled out every year sporting new and innovative tweaks.

According to sources, a preproduction Afeela 1, which will start from $89,900 (around £67,000 / AU$135,000) when it eventually goes on sale, will be on display in Vegas, becoming the first model to sport a digital license plate.

Sony says it has partnered with tech company Reviver to introduce its RPlate digital license plate, which allows owners to customize elements via a bespoke smartphone app.

Although Sony Honda Mobility hasn’t said whether the app will be embedded into the sweeping touchscreen that runs across the width of the Afeela 1’s interior, which makes way more sense.

The battery-powered RPlate uses a monochromatic HD display that allows for the background to be swapped between black and white, while messages can be added to the bottom of the plate in a variety of fonts.

These can be social media tags, taglines or witty phrases, although there’s also no word on whether the use of profanity or other potentially incendiary material can be displayed legally.

In fact, Sony Honda Mobility has released little details about the partnership, only stating that it reflects SHMA’s “commitment to seamlessly integrating smart, connected technologies into every part of the Afeela experience”.

Sony has a lot on its plate

The Sony Afeela 1 made quite the splash when it was first unveiled at CES back in 2023, offering advanced infotainment from the tech giant, a customizable external Media Bar with dynamic LED display and cutting-edge autonomous driving technology.

That said, we are still yet to see a production model arrive and the $89,900 asking price now feels incredibly steep for a vehicle that delivers an EPA estimated range of up to 300 miles on a single charge.

Digital license plates aside, BMW will launch its similarly-priced iX3 next year, which forms part of the Neue Klasse range of EVs that are expected to offer in excess of 500 miles on a single charge, 400kW fast charging and advanced computing that is said to completely revolutionize the way large and heavy EVs feel to drive.

The Reviver RPlate announcement feels like a yet another gimmick on a vehicle that is absolutely stuffed to the gills with technological tricks.

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