Sony-Honda alliance prices electric saloon Afeela 1 at $90,000
Exactly two years ago, Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) put the spotlight on the first study of its electric saloon at the CES in Las Vegas. Sony Honda Mobility is the electric car joint venture between the two Japanese groups, and the vehicles themselves are marketed under the Afeela brand. SHM is now putting a price tag on its debut model. In the US, the electric vehicle will launch from USD 89,900 – an impressive price considering that the Tesla Model S Plaid, for example, starts at USD 95,000 in the US. Incentives are no longer available in these price regions; in the US, they are capped at a vehicle price of USD 80,000.
We will soon see how the new model from the Honda-Sony alliance is received. According to official information, the sales launch for the Afeela 1 is planned for this year in California, with deliveries set to begin in mid-2026. SHM also plans to debut the Einser in Japan before the end of 2026.
At this year’s CES, the joint venture also revealed technical data for the first time. The Afeela 1 is an all-wheel drive vehicle with two 180 kW motors and combines these units with a 91 kWh lithium-ion battery that can be charged with 150 kW (DC) or 11 kW (AC) via a NACS plug. SHM puts the EPA range at 300 miles or 480 kilometres. According to earlier information, the Afeela 1 is based on Honda’s future EV platform e:Architecture, which the car manufacturer plans to introduce in the second half of the decade.
The 4.9-metre long, 1.9-metre wide and 1.46-metre high electric saloon will be available in two trim levels: Origin and Signature, with the latter offering upgrades such as 21-inch wheels and an entertainment system in the second row of seats. Initially, only this higher-value trim will be available from 102,900 US dollars, with the Afeela 1 Origin from 89,900 US dollars to follow in 2027.
The Afeela 1 will be produced in the US at an existing Honda plant in Ohio. The US market is also at the centre of the launch. It has been known for some time that the electric saloon will launch with the NACS charging standard right from the start. Afeela will thus be the first car manufacturer to sell NACS vehicles in Japan, but it is by no means the first Japanese manufacturer with NACS: Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Subaru, and Mazda have already announced the switch – but only for models sold in North America.
The joint venture between Sony and Honda was officially unveiled in October 2022 – although the name Sony Honda Mobility had already been finalised in spring 2022. The Tokyo-based company is equally owned by both partners and was endowed with an initial capital of 10 billion yen (around 70 million euros). SHM attaches great importance to the idea of merging mobility and entertainment in its future vehicles. For example, the plan is to integrate real and virtual worlds in the car. To this end, SHM has launched a development collaboration with Epic Games. Qualcomm acts as a chip supplier and strategic development partner.
The Afeela vehicles are also to be prepared for the era of autonomous driving. The company’s driver assistance system comprises 40 sensors (‘cameras, LiDAR, radar, ultrasonic sensors’) and a computer with 800 TOPS of computing power. However, some functions will be subject to a charge in future. SHM has been advertising a free subscription for intelligent driving functions, a “personal agent,” and entertainment services, among other things, for the first three years.
By the way, after North America and Japan, the Afeela 1 will probably also be available in Europe. The portal Autocar reported a year ago, citing CEO Mizuno, that the electric saloon would also launch on the European market in due course.
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