Surrendering to China, Sony-Honda Halts Afeela Electric Car Project

Sony Honda Mobility has decided to halt the development of the electric car Afeela, after Honda changed its strategy in the electric vehicle (EV) segment. The joint venture between Sony and Honda assessed that the Afeela project is no longer viable to continue, in line with Honda’s decision to cut back on EV development plans. According to Reuters, for Sony, the termination of the Afeela project adds to the list of technology companies withdrawing from the electric vehicle business. Previously, Apple had also halted its electric car project that had been in development for a decade. Meanwhile, Xiaomi has launched the SU7 electric sedan after a long focus on consumer electronics. Sony Honda Mobility stated that Honda’s decision leaves the joint venture without a clear path to bring Afeela to market. This is because the project from the outset relied on technology and assets from Honda, which are now no longer available as initially planned. Sony Honda Mobility was formed to combine Honda’s manufacturing strengths with Sony’s software and gaming capabilities, in order to compete in the global electric vehicle market. The Afeela 1 was the first model planned, with prices starting from US$89,900 or approximately Rp1.42 billion. Previously, deliveries were scheduled to begin by the end of this year. Additionally, a second model based on the latest prototype was targeted for launch as early as 2028.