Sony Honda Mobility Still Needs to Deliver Its Game-Filled Afeela 1 EV, but Here’s a New Concept Car

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Sony Honda Mobility’s first collab car, the Afeela 1, still hasn’t hit the road yet, but the Japanese company is already moving on to its next electric vehicle.

At a CES event in Las Vegas this week, SHM was showing off a pre-production Afeela 1 sedan when another EV was rolled onto the stage. Initially, it looked like another Afeela 1 sedan, but one look at the backside, which was noticeably larger and in a distinct hatchback shape, eliminated these theories. As it turned out, this was the first look at the Afeela Prototype 2026.

Later on stage with both cars side-by-side, the Prototype was easier to spot as a more rounded, lifted crossover, but the difference was subtle.

While SHM doesn’t have much to say about the Prototype 2026 (aka the Afeela 2, but that’s my unofficial name for it) other than its expected arrival in 2028, Shugo Yamaguchi, president and CEO at SHM of America, said through a translator that the Prototype is aimed at the American car buyer. Yamaguchi noted that Americans prefer a bigger EV with more space and a higher perch on the road, similar to most SUVs.

SHM was much more open about the much-hyped Afeela 1, which has generated talk for years, especially at CES, mainly about its gaming capabilities like PlayStation Remote Play and entertainment features like movie viewing on screens throughout the car.

After the event, when the company gave media an inside look at a pre-production version of the Afeela 1, I confirmed that the Afeela 1 is indeed looking like a real car. I even got to touch the yoke steering wheel and push buttons. According to SHM, a Honda manufacturing plant in Ohio has started trialing production of the first Afeela 1 models.

SHM is still being weird about sharing battery specifications for the Afeela 1, but it’s expected to have a range of about 300 miles on dual motors and a 400-volt architecture with a NACS charging port. However, somewhat concerningly, SHM president and COO Izumi Kawanishi said, “Being in a car will no longer be about driving,” when reintroducing the Afeela 1 on stage.

Based on those remarks and the Afeela 1’s offerings, which include gaming, entertainment, a voice assistant, and generative AI features, many from SHM partner Qualcomm, it clearly looks like the Sony side of this partnership venture is winning out. It’s not all fun and games, though. The Afeela 1 also offers a Zoom integration, which allows passengers to connect each seat and even the entire car to a video conference call.

When it comes to advanced driving, the Afeela will have 40 sensors, 18 cameras, one LiDAR unit integrated into the roofline, nine radars, and 12 ultrasonic sensors—even on the base trim. Yamaguchi reiterated plans for the car to reach Level 4 driving abilities on city and highway roads, but it’s starting with a driver-assisted Level 2+ system, also supported by Qualcomm.

(Note: Qualcomm sponsored my trip to CES by providing travel, accommodations, and meals. No other compensation was received and Qualcomm had no editorial input or influence on my content.)

SHM plans to start delivering the Afeela 1, available in a Signature trim starting at $103,000 (and eventually an Origin trim starting at $90,000), by the end of the year, but only to buyers in California. Fans in Arizona will have the opportunity to buy the Afeela 1 in 2027, the company said, the year it will also debut in Japan.

Gizmodo is on the ground in Las Vegas all week bringing you everything you need to know about the tech unveiled at CES 2026. You can follow our CES live blog here and find all our coverage here.

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