It certainly seemed like the fabled Honda-Sony EV would stay a rumor, but the pair announced a formal joint venture in 2022 that put the speculation to rest. Sony Honda Mobility unveiled its Afeela EV in early 2023, and at this year’s CES, the car rolled on stage, driven by a Playstation 5 controller.
The near-production prototype now features more road-ready features, like reshaped bumpers, traditional side mirrors, and updated headlights. Orders will open in 2025, around the time that production is set to start. Deliveries won’t start in North America until 2026, however, so it will be a while before they’re seen on the road.
Two electric motors provide motivation for the car, with a 241-horsepower motor on each axle. The 91-kWh battery can charge at up to 150 kilowatts, but we don’t have range estimates yet. Sony’s handling the in-car tech experience, which will include a panoramic display panel on the dash. The early prototype photos showed displays for the exterior camera mirrors, but we haven’t seen an updated interior shot now that the car has traditional side mirrors.
The Afeela is one of what could become several partnership-driven EVs for Honda. Its work with GM yielded the Prologue SUV, which rolls out later this year, though the automaker ditched plans to work with GM again to develop cheaper models.
[Image: Sony Honda Mobility]
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