Sony and Honda Cancel Electric Vehicle Project

The joint venture formed by Japanese companies Sony and Honda announced the cancellation of plans to jointly develop electric vehicles, including the first model conceived by this partnership—a sedan that was to be named the Afeela 1 and produced in Ohio.

The announcement comes just days after the automaker unveiled a costly restructuring plan, particularly regarding its product electrification strategy, which also involved the cancellation of two zero-emission models from the Honda brand and one more from the Acura luxury division.

Since then, reports in the specialized press have already mentioned the risk that development of the Afeela 1 could be canceled, despite the fact that the program is so far along that the first pre-production prototypes have already rolled off the assembly line.

Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) was established in 2022 by Sony Group Corporation and Honda Motor to “develop and market high-value-added mobility products and services, combining the technologies, expertise, and development capabilities” of both companies.

However, the joint venture acknowledged that with Honda’s recent decision, “the fundamental assumptions underlying SHM’s business operations, such as the use of certain technologies and assets that Honda had planned to provide, were fundamentally altered.”

Dicho precedente obligó a “interrumpir el desarrollo y lanzamiento de su primer modelo, el Afeela 1, y de su segundo modelo”, al tiempo que Sony y Honda revisan la estrategia comercial de SHM, reveló la compañía.

“Sony y Honda continuarán evaluando el futuro de SHM, teniendo en cuenta el propósito inicial de la creación de la empresa conjunta, así como el entorno actual del mercado de vehículos eléctricos, y tienen la intención de anunciar conjuntamente la dirección futura de ésta, su posicionamiento a medio y largo plazo, así como sus contribuciones al futuro de la movilidad lo antes posible”, concluye el anuncio.