It’s the end of the line for Sony’s electric car project, which included the Afeela 1 sedan and a new SUV sharing the same battery electric architecture provided by Honda.

The Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) joint venture officially announced the sad news, which follows Honda’s decision to axe three upcoming EVs for the US market that were months away from the start of production in Ohio—the Acura RSX, Honda 0 Sedan and 0 SUV.

Honda’s canceled EVs shared the 0 Series platform with the Afeela 1 electric sedan and the SUV planned by Sony Honda Mobility.

The Afeela EVs Also Fall Victim to Honda’s EV Reversal

“Sony Honda Mobility Inc. today announced that it has decided to discontinue the development and launch of its first model, AFEELA 1, and its second model of AFEELA vehicles that had been under development,” the joint venture company said in a press statement.

SHM said the decision came following discussions between its parent companies, Sony Group Corporation and Honda Motor Company. As you can imagine, the main reason for the radical decision is Honda’s cancelation of its US-bound electric models.

“As a result of Honda’s reassessment of its automobile electrification strategy announced on March 12, 2026, SHM will not be able to utilize certain technologies and assets that were originally planned to be provided by Honda at the time of SHM’s initial business planning,” SHM said. Because of this, Sony Honda Mobility has realized that it doesn’t have “a viable path forward” to bring the Afeela models to market as originally planned.

The company said it would issue full refunds of the reservation fees received from Afeela 1 customers in California, which was supposed to be the launch market for the luxury electric sedan. SHM also said it would continue discussions with Sony and Honda regarding its future business plans, without elaborating on what those plans may be about—probably shutting down the joint venture.

Afeela 1 Deliveries Were Scheduled to Begin in Late 2026

Sony Honda Mobility was established in September 2022 to develop and sell “high value-added mobility products” and to provide mobility-related service by pooling the technologies, expertise and development capabilities of Sony and Honda.

The tech-laden Afeela 1 electric sedan was supposed to be the first fruit of the collaboration between the two Japanese giants. Out of all the EVs based on Honda’s 0 Series architecture, the Afeela 1 was in the most advanced development stage.

The vehicle had entered the pre-production phase in August 2025 at Honda’s East Liberty factory in Ohio, and was on track to start deliveries by the end of this year in California with the Afeela 1 Signature launch model priced at $102,900. A more affordable Afeela 1 Origin model starting at $89,900 was expected to follow in 2027.

In January, SHM also showcased a crossover SUV prototype at CES 2026 that previewed a second production model for the Afeela brand.

The stillborn Afeela 1 sedan was a technological tour de force designed as a “rolling entertainment hub” leveraging Sony’s gaming and audio tech. It also featured a full-width digital dash integrating 3D maps and immersive media capabilities, an AI-powered personal assistant, and advanced AI-driven Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities powered by 40 sensors (including cameras, radar and LiDAR).

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There’s a key challenge with some electric vehicles’ door handle design. If the door handles pop out electronically, a dead battery can leave you locked out, and unable to open the hood. Without hood access, you probably won’t know how to jumpstart a dead low-voltage battery, leaving you locked out. 

Here’s how you solve that issue, at least if you own a Rivian R1T or R1S. The latest video from Out Of Spec Bits breaks down the process, which is similar to the process for most EVs with pop-out door handles. 

In the video, Kyle and Scot from Out Of Spec start with a 2026 Rivian R1S that is completely dead. Both the low- and high-voltage batteries are dead, a worst-case scenario for an EV. Without a functioning 12-volt battery, you often can’t engage the charging system on the high-voltage battery. That’s why jump-starting the 12-volt battery is the first step.

For most EVs, there is a manual way to get into the cabin or hood. On Gen 2 Rivian R1s, there’s no manual way to get in, but there are a pair of wires in the trailer wiring harness that can be used as jump leads. By connecting a jump box or another vehicle’s battery to these cables, you can power up the vehicle’s low-voltage power system and engage high-voltage charging.

Unfortunately, the video shows that this is all easier said than done. The Rivian requires a consistent 12-volt signal to power up its door handles and screens, and a portable roadside jump-box isn’t quite enough. Even a larger lead-acid model isn’t enough to get the on-board charger to accept an AC connection and begin charging. 

This is where you connect the jump box to a Rivian R1S or R1T.

Photo by: Out of Spec Reviews (YouTube)

To solve that, Out Of Spec jumps the Rivian the old-fashioned way, with a pair of jumper cables and a gas car. The Rivian takes so much load that you can hear the Ford Crown Victoria’s engine rev up, but that’s enough to get it charging. From there, the DC-to-DC converter handles the rest of the low-voltage charging, while the wall plug and onboard charger juice up the traction battery.

For most EVs, it won’t be this challenging. Modern EV battery systems are designed to keep the 12-volt batteries topped up, and most are easy to jump start when they inevitably expire. Still, if you want to avoid dealing with this, the advice is the same. Always replace your car’s 12-volt battery every three to five years, or at least get it tested to ensure it’s still strong. You’d hate to walk up one day and find your power door handles tucked away, unable to open.

Contact the author: Mack.Hogan@insideevs.com

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