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The teletype machines in the CleanTechnica communications center located in the third sub-basement began clattering overnight as the much anticipated news from CES 2025 began arriving. Among all the chatter about boffo new tech products designed to allow modern day humans to amuse themselves to death while avoiding any actual thinking, Sony and Honda finally announced that the Afeela 1 battery-electric sedan they have been working on together for nearly five years can now be pre-ordered with a $200 refundable deposit — provided you reside in California.
According to Hypebeast, prospective purchasers now have a choice of two versions of the car — the base “Origin” model, which is currently only available only in Core Black and is priced at $89,900, or the more expensive and “Signature” version that comes in Tidal Gray and Calm White as well as Core Black. The Signature version includes enough high tech geewizardry to satisfy the most tech hungry customers and lists for $102,900.
The Origin model features 19-inch alloy wheels, and the CES announcement said customers can expect to receive their cars by 2027. The Signature model features larger 21-inch alloy wheels and dual screens so those in the back seat will have their own mini entertainment center. Sony and Honda are promising deliveries of the Signature models by the middle of 2026.
Both versions of the car will feature AI-powered AFEELA Intelligent Drive and AFEELA Personal Agent functionality, spatial audio sound systems, 5G connectivity, customizable themes, and an external media bar with text that users can create themselves. The brand claims the AFEELA 1 will have a “300 mile” range and has confirmed they will be compatible with the Tesla Supercharger network. “We are very pleased to unveil AFEELA 1, developed for the era of autonomous driving,” said Yasuhide Mizuno, who is the head of the Sony/Honda brand, adding, “AFEELA 1 can be called a buddy, combining advanced software with meticulously refined hardware.”
What’s In A Name?
Readers are hereby warned that henceforth, this mashup from Sony and Honda will be presented as Afeela, not AFEELA. We dislike cutesy names and resist the efforts of car manufacturers to slap silly names on the products. Audi likes to use all lower case letters. Sony and Honda seem to think using all caps somehow gives their offering more gravitas. We prefer the use of standard English conventions. No one seems to know what Afeela stands for, which is a marketing blunder similar to Toyota calling its first true battery-electric car Bz4X. The only one who might fully appreciate the new name is Bill Clinton who could drive one and tell all his friends, “Afeela your pain.”
The Verge explains the car itself is basically just a container — a transportation module stuffed full of the entertainment and gaming options Sony is famous for. Executives at Sony Honda Mobility — the corporate structure that will develop and market the Afeela brand — say the automotive space is seen as the next natural frontier for Sony’s media business, allowing it to offer in-car movies, music, TV shows, and gaming opportunities. “We found out we can make one more entertainment space in mobility, like a living room” in car form, Sony Honda Mobility COO Izumi Kawanishi said in an interview at CES 2025. “We already delivered the PlayStation, the Walkman. The mobility space is one more market for us.”
Jessica Caldwell, an auto industry analyst at Edmunds, added, “We have been talking about cars moving into a virtual living room for well over a decade at this point. It seems like the focus is being taken away from the design of the car, per se, and more towards the features of the car and what the car can do for you.” Indeed. The Verge this week said the car looks like a mashup between a Tesla Model S and a Lucid Air. We suggest if you squint, you can see hints of the Honda Accord in there, too. It can be argued that the Afeela 1 is the car Apple would have made if it had followed through on its Project Titan program and that Honda is simply the contract manufacturer. Certainly everything in the press releases so far emphasizes the car’s technical prowess more than its automotive capabilities.
Readers will notice the bumps in the leading edge off the roof that are presumably for the lidar and radar sensors needed for semi-autonomous operation. Those are precisely the sort of add-ons that Elon Musk has decreed will never desecrate the exterior of a Tesla. The Afella 1 will have 40 sensors and cameras for semi-autonomous driving assistance — Level 3 in some driving environments such as controlled access highways, and Level 2 in other situations. The company hints at augmented reality integration and “virtual worlds” embedded into the driving experience.
Sony Is Seeking New Markets With Afeela 1
The Verge suggests Sony’s first foray into the automotive sector is designed to compete with some of the top players in the luxury EV space, but that makes it sound as if the cars might appeal more to the Chinese market. It will be manufactured by Honda in Ohio but one has to wonder whether there are thoughts of producing it in China at some point, where the culture is heavily focused on high tech features in cars. We used to go for a drive to see the countryside. Now we go for rides to be entertained by computer generated graphics. Some may question whether this is truly progress. Careful readers will note that all this computer-assisted wonderfulness will likely be tied to subscription services, which should tell us all we need to know about what the business model is for the Afeela 1.
Another consideration is that the Afeela 1 is a sedan at a time when they are not the most popular choice for US drivers, who are far more interested in SUVs and trucks. “On the surface level, this is two of Japan Inc.’s best known, finest companies in their respective fields coming together,” said Tyson Jominy, VP for data and analytics at JD Power. “When you combine a consumer electronics company with the auto space, I guess the expectation is that magic will happen. From Honda’s perspective, they’re basically getting a client or customer to help pay for their own EV development and to catch up. There definitely is some kind of hesitation on Japanese automakers to really go fully into the electric car space, but I think they are recognizing that this is where things are heading. It seems from Sony’s perspective, this is a full integration of its users, from home to work via your car and everything in between. It’s now an extension that lets us take our personal lives portable.”
If you want to make your personal life portable, you can go online today (if you live in California) and get in line for an Afeela 1 of your own. We are curious how many CleanTechnica readers will avail themselves of this opportunity, so if you do, please let us know in the comments section. For the rest of us, enjoy this promotional video.
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