Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) unveiled a new prototype electric vehicle at the CES trade show in Las Vegas on Monday, even as several US automakers scale back their electric vehicle plans.
Yasuhide Mizuno, CEO of Sony Honda Mobility, said the joint venture between Sony Group and Honda Motor aims to introduce a new production model based on the AFEELA Prototype 2026 to US customers as early as 2028. He also confirmed that customer deliveries of the AFEELA 1—the company’s first production-ready model—are expected to begin in California later this year.
Unveiled under the theme “Mobility as a Creative Entertainment Space,” the AFEELA 1 was showcased as a pre-production vehicle, highlighting SHM’s vision of integrating advanced software, entertainment and sensing technologies into the in-car experience. The company reiterated its long-term technology roadmap, emphasizing partnerships across technology, entertainment and content creation as key to shaping its future mobility ecosystem.
In addition to the AFEELA 1, SHM world-premiered the AFEELA Prototype 2026, offering a glimpse of the next generation of the AFEELA lineup. The upcoming model underscores the company’s ambition to redefine the vehicle as an intelligent, connected and immersive digital space.
Key Announcements
- AFEELA 1 deliveries in California are scheduled to begin within 2026
- Expansion planned to Arizona in 2027
- AFEELA Prototype 2026 world premiere; U.S. market launch of a production model based on this prototype expected as early as 2028
- Future adoption of solutions from Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon Digital Chassis within SHM’s next-generation electrical/electronic(E/E) architecture
- Implementation of the “AFEELA Co-Creation Program” to provide creators with access to development documentation for AFEELA in-vehicle entertainment contents
- Development of a new open, on-chain mobility service platform leveraging a token-based incentive model
Overview of Announcements
Sony Honda Mobility’s Vision
- Creative Entertainment Space:
SHM envisions the evolution of mobility into a “Creative Entertainment Space,” proposing a new mobility experience powered by vehicle AI. Vehicles will evolve from driver-centric machines into intelligent partners that understand user preferences and emotions, maximizing the value of space and time during mobility. - AFEELA Intelligent Drive:
SHM is continuously enhancing its advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), AFEELA Intelligent Drive, while evolving it into an end-to-end AI model that integrates Vision-Language Model (VLM). Starting with Level 2+ driver assistance that supports travel from the departure point to the destination, the company aims to achieve Level 4–equivalent capabilities in the future, transforming the in-vehicle space into a “drive-less” environment where occupants can enjoy entertainment. - AFEELA Personal Agent:
The AFEELA Personal Agent, an interactive conversational AI, leverages Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to deliver highly personalized, natural dialogue experiences tailored to individual users, enhancing the relationship between people and mobility to make it more personal. - Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis:
To support these capabilities, SHM will utilize solutions from the Snapdragon Digital Chassis, an advanced suite of automotive products and solutions from Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., within AFEELA’s future electrical/electronic architecture. By continuously adopting cutting-edge platforms with a future-oriented perspective, SHM aims to create AI-centered next-generation mobility experiences. - Co-Creation Program:
Through the “AFEELA Co-Creation Program,” SHM collaborates with creators and developers to expand the possibilities of mobility by providing access to information necessary for developing in-vehicle entertainment, including in-car themes and apps. The company is also building cloud APIs and the development environment for Android applications on IVI (in-vehicle infotainment). This enables developers to create entirely new mobility applications that will further transform the in-cabin experience. - New on-chain mobility service platform:
To further accelerate open co-creation, SHM is also aiming to build an on-chain mobility service platform that leverages a token-based incentive model powered by crypto technologies. Under the “X-to-Earn” concept, the company aims to create an ecosystem encompassing the three cycles of mobility services: ideation, development, and experience & evaluation, which will also be open to other automakers and service providers.
AFEELA 1: From Vision to Reality
- Current Status:
Reservations for AFEELA 1 began in January 2025 in California. Since then, SHM has opened AFEELA Studio showrooms and held vehicle exhibition events at various locations, welcoming more than 100,000 visitors and conducting over 24,000 in-vehicle demonstrations within the first year. - Manufacturing Status:
In fall 2025, SHM conducted trial production runs of AFEELA 1 on the production line at its contract manufacturing partner, Honda’s East Liberty Auto Plant in Ohio, as part of the preparation process for mass production, and exhibited the pre-production vehicles produced at CES 2026. - AFEELA Delivery Hubs:
This spring, SHM will open “AFEELA Studio and Delivery Hubs” in Torrance and Fremont, California, combining showroom and delivery functions to provide a full brand experience. A phased experiential program, AFEELA Advanced Access, will be offered to early reservation holders, with demo drives planned for late this year. - Future Sales:
Sales of AFEELA 1 are planned to expand to Arizona in 2027, with deliveries in Japan scheduled to begin in the first half of 2027.
AFEELA Prototype 2026
Debuted at CES 2026, AFEELA Prototype 2026 builds on the core concept of AFEELA 1 while offering greater spatial flexibility and accessibility, aiming to deliver joy and value to a broader range of users. SHM plans to develop a production model based on this prototype for launch in the U.S. market as early as 2028.
