Sony and Honda Are No Longer Interested in Afeela

Sony and Honda have decided to discontinue the $90,000 Afeela 1 electric sedan and the unnamed Afeela SUV concept due to slower EV demand and policy changes. Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) cited Honda’s reassessment of its EV strategy and subsequent steep losses as reasons for the lack of a “viable path forward.” Honda recently declared a significant writedown on its EV investments, marking its first annual loss in over 70 years. As a result, Honda has canceled several planned EVs, including the Honda Zero Series models. SHM will refund customers who reserved a future Afeela. Initially revealed at CES in 2020 as the Vision-S concept, the Afeela was more of a platform for Sony’s entertainment tech than a driving machine. Despite trial production at Honda’s Ohio plant and an SUV concept reveal in January, the Afeela faced challenges in securing its market position amid the industry’s broader EV retrenchment. Sony and Honda’s joint venture is currently re-evaluating its future direction, with Honda grappling with declining US sales and an aging lineup.