- Following the news that Honda was cancelling its flagship 0 EVs, the Honda/Sony collaboration Afeela has also been dropped.
- The Afeela 1 used Honda 0 underpinnings, but incorporated Sony tech on the inside.
- The company says it is 'in discussions with Sony and Honda regarding its future business plans'.
When Honda announced it was pulling the plug on it 0 range of EVs recently it threw the future of its collaboration with Sony into immediate doubt.
Afeela, the EV brand the two Japanese companies created under the Sony Honda Mobility (SMH) joint venture, was announced from the start to use Honda's 0 EV platform for its heavily PlayStation-integrated electric sedan, so Honda pulling the plug on the 0 Saloon and 0 SUV mere months from their launch left it in an uncomfortable limbo.
But now we have confirmed what everyone expected - Afeela is pretty much no more.
The company released a brief statement last week stating that Sony Honda Mobility had discontinued the development and launch of its first model, the Afeela 1sedan, as well as the SUV version it had under development.
The company said its decision came following discussions between its parent companies, Sony Group Corporation and Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
"Since its establishment in September 2022, SHM has aimed to develop and sell high value-added mobility products and to provide mobility-related services by combining the technologies, expertise, and development capabilities of Sony and Honda," the statement read.
"However, as a result of Honda’s reassessment of its automobile electrification strategy announced on March 12, 2026, SHM will not be able to utilise certain technologies and assets that were originally planned to be provided by Honda at the time of SHM’s initial business planning. In light of this change, SHM has determined that it does not have a viable path forward to bring the Models to market as originally planned."
SHM went on to say that it would issue full refunds of the reservation fees received for current holders of reservations for Afeela 1 in California, the first market it was slated to launch into later this year.
The Afeela 1 was essentially an amalgamation of Honda's EV program and Sony's vast experience in audio visual, gaming and entertainment technology, and was heavily integrated with the company's PlayStation platform, allowing for personalisation of the car's numerous screens (inside and out) as well as in-car PS Remote Play game-streaming.
The car's audio system integrated Sony's 360 Spatial Sound Technologies developed for the company's headphones and home audio systems, along with Dolby Atmos and active noise cancelling.
SHM says it will "continue discussions with Sony and Honda regarding its future business plans" which, let's face it, can't be much.
