The Sony Honda Mobility alliance has halted the development of its first electric vehicle, the Afeela. The decision comes after a change in Honda's electrification strategy, which now prioritizes hybrids. The project, announced with great anticipation in 2022, never defined a clear launch date. The joint venture acknowledged that it did not find a commercially viable path for a sedan with an estimated range of 300 miles and an initial price that far exceeded that of its direct rivals.
A development in limbo and uncompetitive specifications 😬
The Afeela remained in an advanced prototype phase without concrete advances toward production. Its technical specifications, leaked in presentations, failed to stand out in an already saturated market. A range of around 480 km and an entertainment system based on the Sony ecosystem did not justify its high entry price. This technical stagnation reflects Honda's indecision, which currently only sells the Prologue in the US, an electric vehicle that uses General Motors' Ultium platform.
The Afeela: a concept as real as a pre-order game 🎮
It seems the Afeela will be remembered as that triple-A title announced with a spectacular trailer, but whose launch date is indefinitely delayed until the studio shuts down. It promised a unique experience with screens everywhere, but in the end, the only masterstroke was canceling it before having to manufacture it. Perhaps it was a vehicle too conceptual, designed more to shine at CES than to face something as mundane as a potholed road or a production cost spreadsheet.