Summary
- Sony and Honda have canceled the development and launch of their Afeela electric vehicles, including the Afeela 1 sedan and an upcoming SUV
- The decision follows Honda’s recent reassessment of its EV strategy, which halted the development of the underlying platform required for the vehicles
- The Sony Honda Mobility joint venture will issue full refunds to all customers who placed reservation fees for the Afeela 1
Sony and Honda have officially decided to pull the plug on their highly anticipated AFEELA electric vehicle project. The joint venture, known as Sony Honda Mobility (SHM), announced on March 25, 2026, that it has discontinued the development and launch of the AFEELA 1 electric sedan, as well as a planned SUV model. The high-tech EV, which was designed to integrate Sony’s PlayStation capabilities and advanced entertainment features, was originally scheduled to begin customer deliveries in California by the end of the year.
The cancellation stems from Honda’s recent major reassessment of its automobile electrification strategy. Earlier in March, Honda announced the pivot, which fundamentally altered the underlying assumptions of SHM’s business operations. Without the essential technologies and platform assets that Honda was supposed to provide, SHM determined that there was no longer a viable path to bring the Afeela models to production.
In light of the project’s demise, SHM confirmed that it will be issuing full refunds to all customers who had already paid a fee to reserve the AFEELA 1. While the electric vehicles are officially dead, Sony and Honda have stated that they will continue to discuss and evaluate the future business direction of their joint venture.
