Change in Honda's electrification strategy puts an end to the vehicle that would run PS4 and PS5 games on board; customers will be refunded
The Sony Honda Mobility joint venture aborted the development of the Afeela 1, the long-awaited electric sedan that promised to transform the cabin into a real living room with the PlayStation portable gaming system integrated. The sudden cancellation puts an end to an ambitious project, started in 2022, which was intended to transform the road experience and pave the way for the future launch of an electric SUV.
The decision is a direct side effect of a significant financial setback for Honda. After recording losses that exceed the R$ 18 billion mark, the Japanese automaker was forced to drastically revise its global electrification strategy. As the Afeela would depend intrinsically on Honda’s platforms, technology and entire production structure, the joint project lost its practical viability. The cut was so deep that, in the United States alone, three other electric models exclusive to the automotive brand were also summarily canceled.
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Before being shelved, the Afeela 1 was already in the pre-production testing phase at Honda’s plant located in the state of Ohio. The model would feature all-wheel drive, two 245 hp motors and 91 kWh batteries, capable of delivering a consistent 482 km of autonomy. Its great commercial attraction, however, was the entertainment package: through Remote Play and generous screens spread across the dashboard, occupants could play PS4 and PS5 titles aboard the vehicle via streaming.
The original schedule stipulated that commercial versions would cost between US$ 89,900 (in the Origin variant, scheduled for 2027) and US$ 102,900 (in the top configuration, expected to debut as early as 2026). The company confirmed that all customers who had already made reservations in the pre-sale scheme will be refunded in full.
Despite the shipwreck of the automotive project itself, Sony and Honda say they will keep discussions open to decide the fate of the technology partnership, evaluating the hypothesis that the Afeela brand survives only as a supplier of software and entertainment systems to third parties.
