Sony and Honda have just scrapped the launch of their first two electric cars under the Sony Honda Mobility brand — including the much‑anticipated AFEELA 1 — a decision that signals a major rethink of their joint venture’s future.

Sony Honda Mobility’s flagship looks ready, yet its future is under review. Credit: Sony Group Corporation


The announcement lands with unusual bluntness: the AFEELA 1, once positioned as the flagship of Sony Honda Mobility (SHM), will not see production. 

Nor will the second model that was already in development. Both are casualties of Honda’s revised electrification strategy, unveiled on March 12, 2026, which reshaped the assumptions underpinning the partnership. 

When Honda altered the technologies and assets it planned to contribute, the foundation of SHM’s business model shifted enough to make continuation untenable.

SHM was born in September 2022, a joint venture designed to merge Sony’s expertise in sensors, software, and entertainment with Honda’s manufacturing and engineering muscle. 

“AFEELA 1 will not see production,” the joint statement confirms. Credit: Sony Group Corporation


The idea was straightforward but ambitious: create “high value‑added mobility products” that blurred the line between car and connected device. 

The AFEELA 1 was meant to embody that vision, a sleek EV integrating Sony’s imaging and entertainment systems with Honda’s EV platform. 

Its cancellation is not just a product delay; it’s a pause on the entire experiment.

A concept built in 2022, canceled in 2026 — what survives of the vision? Credit: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.



Honda’s reassessment reflects the broader turbulence in the EV market. Demand curves have shifted, supply chains remain volatile, and the economics of scaling electric platforms are under pressure. For SHM, this meant that technologies once guaranteed by Honda — battery systems, production assets, and certain design pathways — were suddenly uncertain. Without those, Sony’s contributions alone could not sustain the venture’s roadmap.

The joint statement from Sony and Honda is careful not to close the door entirely. Both companies emphasize that SHM’s “business direction” is under review, with a promise to announce a new mid‑ to long‑term positioning “at the earliest possible opportunity.” That phrasing suggests they are not abandoning the idea of collaboration, but rather recalibrating it to fit the new EV landscape. Whether that means smaller‑scale projects, different vehicle categories, or even a pivot toward software and services remains open.

The decision also underscores the fragility of joint ventures in fast‑moving industries. SHM was built on the assumption that Honda’s electrification strategy would remain stable enough to anchor Sony’s innovations. When that anchor shifted, the venture lost its balance. It’s a reminder that even partnerships between giants can falter when market conditions change faster than corporate roadmaps can adapt.

For Sony, the setback raises questions about its ambitions in mobility. The company has long sought to extend its influence beyond consumer electronics, and cars offered a tantalizing frontier. But without Honda’s production backbone, Sony’s role in the automotive space may need to be reimagined. For Honda, the move signals a sharper focus on its own electrification priorities, even if that means sidelining collaborative projects.

What comes next will be telling. If SHM reemerges with a new direction, it could still play a role in shaping the future of connected mobility. But if the venture dissolves, the AFEELA brand may become a footnote in the history of ambitious but short‑lived experiments. Either way, the decision marks a turning point: the dream of a Sony‑Honda EV is no longer imminent, and the companies must now decide whether their partnership can survive in a different form.

The unanswered question is whether this pause is a tactical retreat or the quiet end of a bold idea. The EV market is still evolving, and both Sony and Honda have the resources to adapt. What they choose to build together — or apart — will reveal how much appetite remains for risk in an industry where the ground never stops shifting.