Sony And Honda Have Three New EVs On The Way, Including An SUV

8 months, 2 weeks ago - 17 February 2024, motor1

Plus, a sedan and a more affordable compact are also on the way.

Sony Honda Mobility is the automotive joint venture between Honda and Sony. It aims to build electric vehicles with advanced self-driving technology. Now, there are new details about when the company's first models will hit the road.

In addition to the previously announced Afeela electric sedan coming in 2025, Sony Honda Mobility will launch an SUV in 2027 and a less expensive compact model in 2028 or later, according to Nikkei Asia. All three vehicles will ride on the same platform.

Sony Honda Mobility's compact model will allegedly share components with Honda's in-house developed EVs to keep prices down. The company just showed off the Saloon concept at CES ahead of launching a production model in 2026.

We don't have many details about Sony Honda Mobility's SUV yet. Sony previously showed the Vision-S 02 concept (below) that previewed how such a vehicle might look. It shared a design language with the sedan but with a taller ride and a hatchback.

The Afeela sedan launching in 2025 uses front and rear electric motors, each making 241 horsepower. It has a 91.0-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Sales in the United States should start in early 2026.

Sony Honda Mobility is loading the Afeela with technology. The pre-production model has 45 sensors, including lidar and eight cameras. Chips from Qualcomm would allegedly provide the processing capability to support Level 3 self-driving, meaning a person would still need to take over control at times.

The Afeela has an understated, smoothly styled exterior. Inside, there's a screen spanning nearly the entire dashboard. Sony intends to provide access to its massive media empire so folks can watch movies like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse or play Fortnite on this display. The driver grips a yoke steering wheel.

Honda would build some of these EVs in Ohio, according to Quartz. Given the location, the vehicles might use the batteries coming from Honda and LG's joint venture factory in the state.