Honda and Sony’s electric car sub-brand, Afeela, is set to bring two more models later this decade to join its existing (but yet to be launched) sedan.
The Afeela sedan was confirmed for production and revealed as a concept in January 2023 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Now, according to a report from Nikkei Asia, an SUV and a compact model will join the Afeela sedan by the end of the decade.
The market position of the Afeela brand isn’t yet known, though a premium bent is expected and Nikkei is pinning the sedan at an expected 10 million yen, or a little over AU$100,000.
The SUV is probably going to land north of this, while the compact model could be something better priced to rival the likes of the Tesla Model 3.
Honda and Sony expect launching into the market with only premium models will be difficult, but the brand is set to expand its workforce to about 500 employees, or double what it currently is.
“Afeela expresses an interactive relationship where people ‘feel’ mobility as an intelligent entity, and mobility ‘feels’ people and society using sensing and network IT technologies,” SHM said in a statement explaining the new brand’s name.
While the SUV and more compact model, likely to be a mid-sized hatchback or similar, are just in the pipeline at the moment, the physical sedan shows high-tech sleek design focusing on making the most of Sony’s tech expertise.
Sony Honda Mobility is headquartered in Tokyo with each company putting up an exact 50/50 split in investment, for a total of 10 billion yen (AUD$107,595,000 at the time) as its start-up capital.
“We plan to fully leverage the technological assets the two companies possess in different fields, such as Sony’s sensing technology and Honda’s original mobility development capabilities, to realise mobility and services that inspire and excite our customers,” said Yasuhide Mizuno, Representative Director, Chair of the Board, and CEO of Sony Honda Mobility.
“By bringing together the expertise of both companies, we aim to lead the way in a new era.”
