Sony and Honda’s Afeela EV will begin delivering vehicles to customers in late 2026

The joint venture between Sony and Honda, Sony Honda Mobility (SHM), said it will begin customer deliveries of the vehicle Afeela 1 electric car worth $90,000 In the United States in late 2026. The company also showed off an SUV concept that it said would reach production as a production model in the United States as early as 2028.

The new 2026 Afeela Prototype looked remarkably similar to the pre-production Afeela 1 unit, with short overhangs, a long wheelbase, and a larger overall footprint. No other details about the car were revealed. SHM CEO Yasuhide Mizuno described it as an “early stage concept.”

Ahead of the deliveries, SHM said it will offer phased trial campaigns for early bird holders. The company also said it will expand sales to Arizona, in addition to California, in 2027. Mizuno said Japanese customers can expect the first deliveries to begin in early 2027.

In some ways, the Afeela feels more like a platform for Sony’s entertainment offerings than a driving machine. It features dashboard-width displays, 40 sensors and cameras to assist with semi-autonomous driving, an all-wheel drive system, and hints at the integration of augmented reality and “virtual worlds” built into the driving experience. Sony recently said that Playstation 5 owners will be able to Streaming games Directly to the car’s infotainment system.

When it goes on sale, the Afeela will enter a crowded market for electric vehicles priced above $90,000. Demand for these models has slowed significantly thanks to saturation and intense competition from brands such as Tesla, Mercedes, Audi and BMW. Most of the industry is now turning to developing more affordable models in an attempt to counter the growing influence of Chinese automakers.