The Afeela EV, Honda and Sony’s PlayStation on wheels, has been discontinued as Honda struggles to turn things around.
Honda discontinues Afeela EV with Sony
Honda and Sony announced in a joint statement on Wednesday that the Afeela 1, the high-tech PlayStation 5-playing futuristic electric sedan (which we got to test out), has officially been discontinued.
While Honda and Sony will “continue to discuss and evaluate the future” of their joint venture, Sony Honda Mobility, the second EV, an electric SUV, is also being canceled.
The news comes after Honda announced on March 12 that it was overhauling its electrification strategy, including canceling the Honda 0 series EVs and the Acura RDX for the US, both of which were set to launch in 2026.
Certain tech and other assets that Honda was expected to provide for the partnership were “fundamentally altered,” as a result of the updated business plan, leading them to discontinue the two upcoming Afeela EVs.
Honda and Sony will continue to evaluate the future of SMH, taking into account the EV market. The company said it will announce more about the joint venture’s future as early as possible.
After posting its first annual loss in nearly 70 years, the Japanese automaker admitted: “Honda was unable to deliver products that offer value for money better than that of newer EV manufacturers, resulting in a decline in competitiveness.”
In the US, which was expected to be Afeela’s main market, Honda is facing higher import costs and other policy changes under the Trump Administration that are impacting sales.
Top comment by Damon Ekstrom
“Honda was unable to deliver products that offer value for money better than that of newer EV manufacturers, resulting in a decline in competitiveness.”
This statement from Honda is just wild to me. Honda's quitting EVs altogether, because they're saying that they can't be competitive? Then what was the point in investing all that time and money? They clearly see that electrification is where the automotive industry is headed. EVs are not only dominating overseas, but despite the Trump administration looking down on electrification, more and more people are seeing the value in EVs, especially now that Trump has sent oil prices soaring.
I understand that it would be difficult to get a foothold into a business that's already well established with other car makers, but the Honda name carries a lot of weight with people. I'm surprised that they didn't trust enough in themselves to do well. If history has taught us anything, it's that it's not wise to bet against the future. It reminds me of how back in the day Blockbuster refused Netflix's offer to buy them. They thought that DVD's by mail couldn't possibly be the future of home rentals, and we all see how well that turned out.
Honda’s restructuring costs could reach 2.5 trillion yen ($15.7 billion) due to the strategy shift and the cancellation of EVs.
Like the 0 Series models, the Sony Afeela EVs were set for production at Honda’s EV Hub in Ohio. Honda already began trial production of the Afeela 1 last fall, while the SUV was set to join as early as 2028.
Honda planned to begin delivering Afeela 1 customer deliveries in California by the end of 2026, with Arizona following in 2027. The electric sedan starts at $89,900 and has an EPA-estimated range of up to 300 miles.
After opening pre-orders for the Afeela 1 earlier this year, Honda Sony Mobility said it will give a full refund ($200) to those who placed an order.
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