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It started with glossy concept cars and big promises. Now, it’s ending with a quiet retreat.
Sony Honda Mobility has confirmed it will halt development and launch plans for its Afeela electric vehicles, including the Afeela 1 and the barely-mentioned Afeela 2. Officially, the company says it’s “reviewing its business direction.” Unofficially, this looks like a project that ran out of road.
The timing isn’t great. Honda is already navigating a bruising financial year, with losses reaching up to $15.7 billion after scaling back its EV investments. A shifting U.S. policy landscape—less support for electric cars, more tariffs, and a renewed focus on fossil fuels—hasn’t helped. Even its Formula 1 ambitions have stumbled, adding pressure to an already strained outlook.
Sony’s automotive ambitions, meanwhile, always felt a little... experimental. The Vision-S prototype, first revealed six years ago, turned heads. It was sleek, tech-forward, and undeniably Sony. But concept appeal doesn’t always translate into market success. By the time Afeela evolved into a production-ready idea, the competition had moved on—faster, sharper, and often cheaper.
Early impressions didn’t exactly spark excitement either. Observers noted that the Afeela 1 felt dated before it even arrived, lacking the emotional pull that today’s EV buyers expect. Worse, it was priced against rivals that already had stronger brand credibility in the electric space.
And then there’s the elephant in the showroom: it’s a sedan. In a market that has overwhelmingly shifted toward SUVs and crossovers, launching a traditional four-door felt like swimming against the current. Even the more SUV-like Afeela 2 failed to gain real traction—or even a proper mention in the company’s latest statement.
A Vision That Missed Its Moment
The idea of a “smart device on wheels” once sounded futuristic. Today, it’s table stakes. Nearly every automaker is chasing the same vision, blending software, connectivity, and autonomous features into their vehicles. Sony and Honda weren’t wrong—they were just late.
What happens next is still unclear. The company promises updates “at the earliest opportunity,” but the direction could range from a complete exit to a scaled-down strategy focused on technology rather than full vehicles.
Either way, Afeela’s story is a reminder of how quickly the EV race evolves. Even giants can misjudge the pace—and the market rarely waits.
Source: engadget
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