Sony Honda Mobility Afeela 1

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sw3g005
...before you ask, yes I still like cars, but I'm also able to recognize the above fact and that humanity would probably be better off if we lived in societies where having a car isn't a requirement (looking at you America) - that is, unless you willingly wished to live in such a situtation, like on a farm or something like that.
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Southeast Asian countries are pushing working from home again as a result of oil-related concerns as a result of the Iran war. Working from home is generally seen as cutting the transport middleman (including mass transit).
mef
After what Trump and the Conservatives did to Hyundai, this makes complete sense.

Hope Honda and other Japanese manufacturers consider Canada as an alternative.
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When they are already accepting Chinese EVs, albeit in limited numbers?
 
Valkyrie427
To this day I still don't understand the sheer hatred and outrage directed at EVs.
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Let me explain then. The EV trend of the 2020s has been a result of political lobbying and nothing else. None of the actual drivers ever asked for an EV before the elites started to actively favour them and try to kill off the internal combustion engine. EVs are massively overweight for their sizes, resulting in lots of waste on more levels than one can think of at once. Being overweight, having massive polar inertia and lacking short gear ratios, they 're also dangerous as soon as you exit the city limits, especially if the road isn't dry. And an even greater danger is the autonomous systems the elites want to impose along with EVs. Cars in the real world are only meant to be driven by humans. If the elites hate driving they can very well stay out of it, but any attempt of theirs to also impose the same thing on us is frankly fascism and I 'll be resisting it.
 
FaithJonesFEM
Let me explain then. The EV trend of the 2020s has been a result of political lobbying and nothing else. None of the actual drivers ever asked for an EV before the elites started to actively favour them and try to kill off the internal combustion engine. EVs are massively overweight for their sizes, resulting in lots of waste on more levels than one can think of at once. Being overweight, having massive polar inertia and lacking short gear ratios, they 're also dangerous as soon as you exit the city limits, especially if the road isn't dry. And an even greater danger is the autonomous systems the elites want to impose along with EVs. Cars in the real world are only meant to be driven by humans. If the elites hate driving they can very well stay out of it, but any attempt of theirs to also impose the same thing on us is frankly fascism and I 'll be resisting it.
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Who are these ‘elites’ and what is their reasoning for favouring EVs?
 
FaithJonesFEM
Let me explain then. The EV trend of the 2020s has been a result of political lobbying and nothing else. None of the actual drivers ever asked for an EV before the elites started to actively favour them and try to kill off the internal combustion engine. EVs are massively overweight for their sizes, resulting in lots of waste on more levels than one can think of at once. Being overweight, having massive polar inertia and lacking short gear ratios, they 're also dangerous as soon as you exit the city limits, especially if the road isn't dry. And an even greater danger is the autonomous systems the elites want to impose along with EVs. Cars in the real world are only meant to be driven by humans. If the elites hate driving they can very well stay out of it, but any attempt of theirs to also impose the same thing on us is frankly fascism and I 'll be resisting it.
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Dangerous outside city limits are they? I've not so much as spun the wheels up on my Model 3, and I don't drive it sedately. All that weight is lower than on an ice car, too, so the effect on handling isn't what you believe it to be.

I'm sorry, but you're trotting out utter nonsense to justify whatever reason it is you don't like them.
 
VXR
Dangerous outside city limits are they? I've not so much as spun the wheels up on my Model 3, and I don't drive it sedately. All that weight is lower than on an ice car, too, so the effect on handling isn't what you believe it to be.

I'm sorry, but you're trotting out utter nonsense to justify whatever reason it is you don't like them.
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The real danger isn't wheelspin, it is understeer. You might "not drive it sedately", but do you turn off the ESP? Also the weight being lower is cancelled out by the polar inertia I did mention. Now if polar inertia is "utter nonsense" to you, then probably so is gravity.

@TheCracker: Are you asking for their official cope, or their actual political targets? EVs are inherently more convenient for shoving upon us the "autonomous vehicle" concept, which induces much more danger than benefit. Mind you, anything that connects to the internet is available for hacking. Would you want to be in a vehicle that could suddenly be hacked and likely driven into a ditch?
 
05XR8
I've seen plenty ICE cars driven into ditches.
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In this part of the US, it's not officially winter until you see a Mustang or Charger sitting backwards in a ditch or freeway median. :sly:

Regardless of driver skill issues though, there are plenty of ICE cars on the market that are internet facing for non-critical reasons and could be tampered with just as easily. Perhaps not directly steered into the nearest ravine by some goon in a Guy Fawkes mask, but still more than able to cause unwanted operation that would lead to an accident.
 
FaithJonesFEM
The real danger isn't wheelspin, it is understeer. You might "not drive it sedately", but do you turn off the ESP? Also the weight being lower is cancelled out by the polar inertia I did mention. Now if polar inertia is "utter nonsense" to you, then probably so is gravity.

@TheCracker: Are you asking for their official cope, or their actual political targets? EVs are inherently more convenient for shoving upon us the "autonomous vehicle" concept, which induces much more danger than benefit. Mind you, anything that connects to the internet is available for hacking. Would you want to be in a vehicle that could suddenly be hacked and likely driven into a ditch?
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I don't even think I can turn the ESP off on my Model 3, and if you can, I'm not particularly fussed as its just my (very quick) daily driver. But I can't say terminal understeer has ever happened to me on the public road, certainly not to the extent that it can't be pulled back into line by coming off the throttle and I lean on all my cars through corners.
 
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FaithJonesFEM
Let me explain then. The EV trend of the 2020s has been a result of political lobbying and nothing else.
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Political lobbying by whom? And for what purpose?

You're also forgetting about the technical breakthroughs that allowed for EV's to become a viable option, that has contributed a lot to this trend.
FaithJonesFEM
None of the actual drivers ever asked for an EV
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That's not right. There were EV's before the 2020's and nobody forced those owners to buy them.
FaithJonesFEM
before the elites started to actively favour them and try to kill off the internal combustion engine.
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What elites?
FaithJonesFEM
EVs are massively overweight for their sizes resulting in lots of waste on more levels than one can think of at once.
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I'm not so sure they are. Many EV's are actually quite big. And I don't see how "overweight for their size" results in more waste than merely being "overweight".
FaithJonesFEM
Being overweight, having massive polar inertia and lacking short gear ratios, they 're also dangerous as soon as you exit the city limits, especially if the road isn't dry.
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I don't see how. EV's generally have a low center of mass and the electric motor operates fine without a gearbox thanks to a high power output across a wide range of engine speeds. And why would wet roads be a problem?
FaithJonesFEM
And an even greater danger is the autonomous systems the elites want to impose along with EVs.
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I never heard of any elites wanting to impose autonomous systems.
FaithJonesFEM
Cars in the real world are only meant to be driven by humans.
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Sure. Unless you design them to be autonomous, then they are meant for autonomous driving too.
FaithJonesFEM
If the elites hate driving they can very well stay out of it, but any attempt of theirs to also impose the same thing on us is frankly fascism and I 'll be resisting it.
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What elites are you talking about? I have a hard time seeing how for example the CEO of a private company deciding to offer a product for sale on the market can be considered fascism. Perhaps that's not the kind of elite you're referring to?
 
Honestly, I kind of predicted this.

When I initially saw the car, I thought to myself: "There is no way that's coming out."

It's just that I thought it would be delayed again, and again, until they put it onto indefinite hiatus (AKA canceled), instead of outright canceling it.
 
I wonder if Polyphony will still add the SUV in GT7 🤔 probably not now. Its a neat car if you're an influencer but I'm not sure how popular AFEELA would've been out in the wild
 
Here's the press release:
Tokyo, Japan – March 25, 2026 – Sony Honda Mobility Inc. (“SHM”) today announced that it has decided to discontinue the development and launch of its first model, AFEELA 1, and its second model of AFEELA vehicles that had been under development (collectively, the “Models”). SHM’s decision comes following discussions between its parent companies, Sony Group Corporation (“Sony”) and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (“Honda”).

Since its establishment in September 2022, SHM has aimed to develop and sell high value-added mobility products and to provide mobility-related services by combining the technologies, expertise, and development capabilities of Sony and Honda. However, as a result of Honda’s reassessment of its automobile electrification strategy announced on March 12, 2026, SHM will not be able to utilize certain technologies and assets that were originally planned to be provided by Honda at the time of SHM’s initial business planning. In light of this change, SHM has determined that it does not have a viable path forward to bring the Models to market as originally planned.

As a result of this decision, SHM will issue full refunds of the reservation fees received for current holders of reservations for AFEELA 1 in California in the U.S.

SHM will continue discussions with Sony and Honda regarding its future business plans.
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XSRacing111
So basically, if the AFEELA ran on internal combustion rather than lithium it would’ve been a commercial success.
Sorry, but that’s the truth of the matter.
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Umm... no?

The truth of the matter, if it can be summed up in one sentence, is that Honda sunk a boatload of money into making new platforms for EVs and facilities to make them, creating thousands of jobs for Americans, in a business environment that encouraged exactly that, with Sony deciding that this made a good partner to produce the EV it was planning, only for a sudden, rapid, and unpredictable series of arbitrary and chaotic changes (even on a day to day basis) that included not only disincentivising the development of EVs but introduced punitive tariffs even for vehicles built in the USA if any component came from outside the USA, which changed the business environment entirely and inserted complete uncertainty (anathema to car companies which plan at least eight years ahead) due to the unpredictable whims of the individual making these edicts, resulting in Honda deciding it was better to take a $16bn hit, recording its first loss in 70 years, and not bother any more with all these new jobs for Americans, while also taking the platform out from underneath Afeela entirely.

It's a big sentence, and also skips out the influence of low-cost Chinese EVs in the Asian market, but it covers the bases. If you want a snappier one: Sony want make car, pick Honda make car, Honda spend lots money make several cars, lunatic crap all over everything, Honda run away, Sony no have car.


And Series 0 could use NMCA battery packs too; lithium technologies weren't entirely required.

Also Afeela was grossly overpriced and already outdated, so wouldn't have been a commercial success regardless.
 
Afeela, to me, evoked ennui, albeit with Sony’s branding. Less of a car and more of an appliance, meant for dweeby Silicon Valley pencil-pushers who have their fridge connected to WiFi and are the textbook definition of “more money than sense.” They probably collect Funko Pops, too.

Now, if I had to buy an EV and money wasn’t a factor, I’d much rather get something like a Pininfarina Battista, or a Porsche Taycan. Heck, a Hyundai Ioniq 5 is infinitely sexier. Even the Ford Mustang Mach-E at least makes you feel something with its design.

It’s honestly amazing that Sony as a whole is still around somehow, since I hear they’re largely propped up by the Playstation brand.
 
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XSRacing111
So basically, if the AFEELA ran on internal combustion rather than lithium it would’ve been a commercial success.
Sorry, but that’s the truth of the matter.
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Not sure if it's the case in your region. But here in the UK, Honda barely sells any cars these days. They weren't even in the top 25 manufacturers in the latest February 2026 car sales figures.
 
Famine
Umm... no?

The truth of the matter, if it can be summed up in one sentence, is that Honda sunk a boatload of money into making new platforms for EVs and facilities to make them, creating thousands of jobs for Americans, in a business environment that encouraged exactly that, with Sony deciding that this made a good partner to produce the EV it was planning, only for a sudden, rapid, and unpredictable series of arbitrary and chaotic changes (even on a day to day basis) that included not only disincentivising the development of EVs but introduced punitive tariffs even for vehicles built in the USA if any component came from outside the USA, which changed the business environment entirely and inserted complete uncertainty (anathema to car companies which plan at least eight years ahead) due to the unpredictable whims of the individual making these edicts, resulting in Honda deciding it was better to take a $16bn hit, recording its first loss in 70 years, and not bother any more with all these new jobs for Americans, while also taking the platform out from underneath Afeela entirely.

It's a big sentence, and also skips out the influence of low-cost Chinese EVs in the Asian market, but it covers the bases. If you want a snappier one: Sony want make car, pick Honda make car, Honda spend lots money make several cars, lunatic crap all over everything, Honda run away, Sony no have car.


And Series 0 could use NMCA battery packs too; lithium technologies weren't entirely required.

Also Afeela was grossly overpriced and already outdated, so wouldn't have been a commercial success regardless.
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Uuummm…yes actually. The EV market isn’t crashing because OrAnGe MaN bAd. It’s crashing because there is no EV market. Companies that listened to politicians (who had no idea what the hell they were doing) and went all in on EVs are now paying the price for ignoring the consumers. This isn’t horse and buggy VS the Model T. It’s practicality VS a fad. Many of these companies only went along with it due to the political pressure and climate fear mongering. Companies that focused on what people are actually buying (ICE and Hybrids) are doing very well because they could read the room and actually know what would happen in the future. Companies that went all EV are collapsing (see Jaguar, Volvo, Etc.) because they (like the politicians) thought commercializing a fad was a great idea (it wasn’t) with Tesla and BYD being outliers as well as the overwhelming majority of the limited market.

Furthermore, cars aren’t getting more expensive due to tariffs. They’re getting more expensive due to the absurd costs of doing business. Wanna take a guess as to why Chinese EVs are being sold like hotcakes in Asia? It’s because US auto makers make in a week what Chinese auto makers make in a month. That’s why they’re cheaper. Does that mean US workers need a paycut? No (although I personally believe every product is horribly overvalued). China just needs to be punished for undercutting the market (among a plethora of human rights abuses), hence the tariffs (which actually don’t go far enough).
Honda only has themselves to blame for their loss. I maintain my belief that if the AFEELA was an ICE vehicle or better yet a hybrid, the project would’ve been successful (and more affordable to both Honda and the consumer).

crooky369
Not sure if it's the case in your region. But here in the UK, Honda barely sells any cars these days. They weren't even in the top 25 manufacturers in the latest February 2026 car sales figures.
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They’re no Ford or Toyota, but they average 4 million units sold per year here in the US. I don’t go a day without seeing a CR-V or a Civic. The US makes up 40% of Honda’s global sales.

M Stark
Combustion engines make 0 sense for the everyday commuter that doesn’t pay gasoline prices by the gallon.
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I don’t know what the hell you’re paying where you are, but I pay less than $3 a gallon. And being a previous EV owner, they are not for everyday commuters. The electric bill alone is enough to bankrupt you.
 
I actually saw one of the pre-production Afeelas in person at their pop-up showroom in Corte Madera, CA a few months back. I'm not exactly gutted it's not being produced, but it's pretty eye-opening how close it was to commercial release and how many resources have now been flushed down the toilet.

Funny enough, you're still able to reserve one on the Afeela website: https://www.shm-afeela.com/config/model/afeela1
 
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I bet even PD saw it coming years ago that this will flop but was powerless to say no or else there'll be surprise layoffs.
Sony Honda simply playing catchup and simply got left in the dust from last month, by the time the car came to fruition it will already be few years behind the competition from China.
Despite all this I hope they won't remove the car in GT7 it's now becomes part of their not so rosy side of PD's history alongside more ambitious vision that never made it to the full game like Gran Turismo TV.
Afeela 1 drove well in-game for what's essentially a drivable Xperia phone with way too many screens inside.
But I highly doubt we'll be seeing this return on their next game though.
 
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XSRacing111
Uuummm…yes actually. The EV market isn’t crashing because OrAnGe MaN bAd. It’s crashing because there is no EV market. Companies that listened to politicians (who had no idea what the hell they were doing) and went all in on EVs are now paying the price for ignoring the consumers. This isn’t horse and buggy VS the Model T. It’s practicality VS a fad. Many of these companies only went along with it due to the political pressure and climate fear mongering. Companies that focused on what people are actually buying (ICE and Hybrids) are doing very well because they could read the room and actually know what would happen in the future. Companies that went all EV are collapsing (see Jaguar, Volvo, Etc.) because they (like the politicians) thought commercializing a fad was a great idea (it wasn’t) with Tesla and BYD being outliers as well as the overwhelming majority of the limited market.

Furthermore, cars aren’t getting more expensive due to tariffs. They’re getting more expensive due to the absurd costs of doing business. Wanna take a guess as to why Chinese EVs are being sold like hotcakes in Asia? It’s because US auto makers make in a week what Chinese auto makers make in a month. That’s why they’re cheaper. Does that mean US workers need a paycut? No (although I personally believe every product is horribly overvalued). China just needs to be punished for undercutting the market (among a plethora of human rights abuses), hence the tariffs (which actually don’t go far enough).
Honda only has themselves to blame for their loss. I maintain my belief that if the AFEELA was an ICE vehicle or better yet a hybrid, the project would’ve been successful (and more affordable to both Honda and the consumer).
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I don't think you can accuse Honda of going all-in on EVs...but they were definitely a victim of timing and a radically shifted business environment in this case. The butchering of the executive sedan market by Tesla probably sent a strong signal to the rest of the industry that was....misinterpreted, particularly by the Germans who seem to have made all the wrong moves on electrification. Very few of the Japanese automakers went down this route though, so I'm not sure who you're complaining about here. Where manufacturers did make sizeable investments, if a government administration creates incentives large enough to make the business decision "if I don't do this, I'm gonna get creamed by my opponents" and then the next administration blows up those incentives mid-product development cycle, you can't really blame the manufacturer. At some point you have to blame the government.
 
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XSRacing111
The EV market isn’t crashing because OrAnGe MaN bAd.
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Thanks for letting me know that, as I suspected, your engagement is dishonest. Saves me from wasting any more time.

Here's Honda on why Zero platform is dead:

global.honda

Honda Announces Losses Associated with Reassessment of Automobile Electrification Strategy; Revision to Forecast for Consolidated Financial Results; and Future Direction | Honda Global Corporate Website

Honda Global | Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda) today announced that it has made a decision to cancel the development and market launch of three EV (electric vehicle) models that had been planned for production in North America.
global.honda global.honda

Afeela is no more (in this form) because Zero platform is dead. Had Sony picked a different EV partner, it wouldn't be. That's the core of it.
 

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