Sony-Honda Afeela Electric Vehicle Series Discontinued

Shortly after announcing the end of its future 0 Series EVs for global markets, the upcoming Sony-Honda jointly developed Afeela EVs have also been axed. In a jointly issued press release by Sony and Honda, the companies said that Honda’s reassessment of its electrification strategy had ‘fundamentally altered’ Sony Honda Mobility’s (SHM) ‘business operations, such as the utilisation of certain technologies and assets planned to be provided by Honda' resulting in the decision to pull the plug on the Afeela program.

Also read: Honda And Sony Co-Developed Afeela 1 EV Will Go On Sale; Reservations Open At CES 2025

The news drops barely a year after SHM opened order books for the Afeela 1 sedan - an S-class-sized EV, almost half a decade after Sony unveiled its first electric sedan concept and almost three years after the formation of SHM. The near-production EV was unveiled last year at CES 2025 with plans for deliveries to start in mid-2026. The EV featured a 91kWh battery pack, good for a claimed range of 483 kms on a single charge.

A second model, an SUV, was also previewed in prototype form earlier this year.

Also read: Afeela SUV Prototype Is Sony-Honda’s Next EV

The decision to axe the Afeela series before a market launch has also put the future of the SHM joint venture up in the air. In a joint statement, the companies said, ‘Sony, Honda and SHM will continue to discuss and evaluate the future of SHM, taking into account the initial purpose of the JV establishment as well as the latest EV market environment, and intend to jointly announce SHM’s future direction, mid to long-term positioning as well as contributions to the future of mobility at the earliest possible opportunity.’

Earlier in the month, Honda had announced plans to axe the 0 Series SUV and sedan from its future model portfolio alongside the Acura RSX as it re-evaluated its electrification strategy due to changing market dynamics. The third 0 Series EV, a smaller SUV called the 0 Alpha, however, remains on track to enter production, with an India launch still on the cards.