Sony and Honda-backed Afeela reportedly plans SUV, budget EV

Honda and Sony have joined forces to launch the EV brand Afeela, whose first model will be a sedan that’s due to go on sale in the U.S. in 2026.

Afeela showed a late-stage prototype of the sedan in January during 2024 CES and will reveal the final version in 2025. Production will be handled at a Honda plant in North America, most likely at one of the automaker’s existing plants in Ohio.

At least two more models are planned for launch in quick succession, Japan’s Nikkei reported on Wednesday.

According to the newspaper, an SUV will follow in 2027 and an affordable compact will come in 2028 or later.

Plans for an SUV aren’t a surprise given the popularity of the segment. Prior to establishing its partnership with Honda, Sony in 2022 showed a concept for an electric SUV.

According to the Nikkei, all three Afeela models will share a platform to help reduce costs and speed up development. The newspaper reported that the affordable model may also share some parts with EVs being developed independently by Honda.

Honda plans to have 30 EVs in its lineup globally by 2030. Some of these will be grouped under the 0 (Zero) Series sub-brand that was launched during 2024 CES. The first 0 Series model will reach the U.S. 2026, based on the 0 Saloon concept that was unveiled at CES.