CES 2026: Sony Honda Mobility Debuts New AFEELA Prototype, Afeela 1 EV Coming in Late 2026

Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) unveiled massive things at their showcase in CES 2026, and it centers on two electric vehicles that will deliver a new kind of mobility to the world.

Sony Honda Mobility Unveils AFEELA Prototype 2026

AFEELA Prototype 2026

SHM held its press conference during CES 2026 to reveal their latest AFEELA electric vehicle that will be coming soon.

In this showcase, SMH unveiled the AFEELA Prototype 2026, coming in a new form factor that is larger than the original one. The AFEELA Prototype 2026 is set to be an electric SUV, and it will deliver a larger car for users compared to the sedan-type model they introduced years ago.

This new SUV prototype will show its first production model in the United States by as early as 2028, with the new prototype following the same design scheme as the Afeela 1 EV. According to SHM CEO Yasuhide Mizuno, the AFEELA Prototype 2026 is still at an "early-stage concept."

Sony Honda Mobility: Afeela 1 US Release Date

Alongside this, SMH also announced that its first pre-production model, the Afeela 1 EV, will begin production soon and start early customer deliveries by late 2026 in the United States.

Customers who have preordered the electric vehicle early will get the chance to be part of the pilot launch of the Afeela 1 EV in the country, following its recent start of the EV's trial production at Honda's East Liberty Auto Plant in Ohio.

The Afeela 1 electric vehicles will be first sold in California in late 2026, but SHM will extend its availability and sales to Arizona starting in 2027.

Additionally, Mizuno revealed that the Afeela 1 EVs will also be available in Japan starting in 2027.

The showcase also revealed that the Afeela 1 will be at the sub-$90,000 starting price point.

AFEELA EV: Sony and Honda's Joint Venture

AFEELA 1

Apart from the Afeela 1 and AFEELA Prototype 2026 unveiling, Sony Honda Mobility also announced many more projects coming under the joint venture.

SHM's vision centers on sharing a new "Creative Entertainment Space" that will deliver "intelligent partners" and move away from driver-centric focuses, powered by the in-vehicle AI.

Next, the company also unveiled the AFEELA Intelligent Drive, which evolves the end-to-end AI model with a Vision-Language Model. It will first start with a Level 2+ driver assistance technology that will later evolve into Level 4 autonomy for self-driving technologies.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon Digital Chassis will also be integrated into SHM's AFEELA EVs in the future, using the cutting-edge smart vehicle platform to further enhance its AI. Alongside this, the AFEELA Personal Agent, powered by the Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, will make it possible to deliver natural language, personalized, and tailored experiences to users.

Lastly, the new "Co-Creation Program" by SHM will allow collaborations with creators and developers to create new in-vehicle entertainment solutions, apps, and themes for the EVs.