The Sony Afeela 1 is cancelled due to the new strategy of Honda regarding electric models

For several years we have been reading reports about a car that Sony was going to launch together with Honda. Both manufacturers were betting on an electric vehicle that would combine Honda’s automotive technology with Sony’s consumer technology. There was even talk that Sony would equip this model with the PS 5, so this project seemed to be a real prize for buyers.

But the hopes of those who expected to have this model have vanished, since Honda’s plans regarding its electric models have led to this project being cancelled. The Japanese brand has taken a step back from its plans to launch new electric models, and this has blocked investment in this type of vehicle, including the Afeela 1.

Sony entered the automotive industry in 2020 with the electric prototype Vision-01 and refined it in 2022 with the Vision-02. The Afeela brand was launched in 2023 with the collaboration between Sony and Honda at CES 2023. And at CES 2025 the production version, the Afeela 1, was presented.

Reservations opened shortly after, and the deposit was 200 dollars, against an estimated price of 89,900 euros. At CES 2026 a second prototype was presented, the Afeela Prototype 2026, the brand’s future electric SUV. This same March, two unique models were announced, created in collaboration with the artists Matt Copson and Hajime Sorayama. And not to forget the announcement of the opening of the Afeela Studio and Delivery Hub in Torrance, California, on 16 March.

Now, Honda has decided to cancel production of several of its electric models, and this has had consequences for the plans of Sony Honda Mobility.

The Afeela project is cancelled

The cancellation of the Honda 0 Saloon, the SUV 0 and the Acura RS crossover for the US market has led to the halt of the technology needed to develop the platform on which the Afeela 1 was to be based, among other things. So the project is cancelled immediately, and there are serious doubts as to whether the collaboration between the two companies will continue in the near future.

This is another electric model project that has been cancelled, although this one had two major brands behind it and we expected to see it on the market soon. Unfortunately, instead of an elegant, technologically advanced electric car, those who reserved their Afeela 1 will only receive a refund of the reservation.