Well, there go two more battery-electric vehicles from Honda. Afeela, its joint venture with Sony, just announced that it’s discontinuing the development and launch of its first two models. That’s right, the Afeela 1 didn’t even get a chance to hit customers’ driveways. Meanwhile, the upcoming SUV model is also dead with development officially halted. The brand says the decision came following discussions between its two parent companies, Sony and Honda.
Established in 2022, Sony Honda Mobility aimed to develop and sell mobility products and technologies. It aimed to do so by combining the expertise of its two founders, Sony and Honda. However, due to the latter reassessing its automotive electrification strategy, SHM won’t be able to utilize certain technologies and assets that Honda intended to provide for the joint venture. The brand said it will issue full refunds to reservation holders of the Afeela 1 in California. It also noted that Sony and Honda will continue discussions for future business plans.
With Honda killing off its in-house battery-electric vehicle program, this outcome was inevitable. The 0 Series lineup and the Acura RSX were just the beginning. Meanwhile, the Afeela 1 and its SUV follow-up became fourth and fifth. From our perspective, this decision is extremely short-sighted. By not making any EVs in-house, Honda won’t have the necessary experience to compete.
Yes, Honda plans to return to that segment later with a new plan, but now it wasted a ton of money for nothing and squandering knowledge gained through EV development, setting it back significantly. Furthermore, it’s no longer the innovator it once was. Honda is more content to sit on its laurels and sell cars based on the brand reputation rather than their merits. It’s no longer pushing boundaries and challenging the industry like before.
Source: Sony Honda Mobility
