4 Reasons The Sony Honda AFEELA 1 EV Feels Doomed From The Start

Every year, CES has been a worldwide showcase of technological advancement and innovation — and CES 2025 is no different. However, not every announced invention is equally promising. One questionable reveal was Sony Honda Mobility's AFEELA 1. Already available to pre-order for a small, refundable reservation fee, the AFEELA 1 is focused on safe, comfortable driving that aims to reduce stress with its many sensors and entertainment features. 

"We are very pleased to unveil AFEELA 1, developed for the era of autonomous driving, at CES 2025. AFEELA 1 can be called a buddy, combining advanced software with meticulously refined hardware. We will meet our customers' expectations by providing a safe, secure, and comfortable travel experience," said Sony Honda Mobility CEO Yasuhide Mizuno. 

Will the AFEELA 1 become an electric, four-wheeled driving companion? It's tough to say, as many of the announced details surrounding the AFEELA 1 have the car community skeptical. Is the AFEELA 1 going to be doomed or be part of the future of travel? Here are some of the most glaring concerns after seeing the CES 2025 announcement.

One thing that may instantly turn off a lot of potential drivers from the AFEELA 1 is the $89,900 price tag. A nearly $90,000 base model is quite a high price point for the average car buyer, since the average car price in 2024 was under $50,000. Of course, most people expect to spend a bit more on electric vehicles — in fact, this is one of the reasons U.S. drivers have not switched to EVs. Those that are interested in EVs, however, know there are more cost-effective EVs to choose from that are already trusted and praised. SlashGear reviewed the 2024 Lucid Air Pure, giving it a nine out of 10 for its luxurious feel and performance — and this one was $77,400.  

This is just one example of many EV sedans already on the market. Nonetheless, it makes more sense to go with an existing, lower cost one that has already been customer approved, since the AFEELA 1 hasn't been test driven or experienced just yet. 

Perhaps one of the most unappealing aspects of the AFEELA 1 is that it was announced far too early. The AFEELA 1 won't even begin production until sometime this year, and the deliveries are anticipated to be mid-2026. With so many comparable EV sedans already available to purchase, it seems like a bit of an inconvenience to skip them all in favor of waiting a year and a half for one. 

But even more concerning is that the AFEELA 1 will only be for sale in California during this time. It's possible that AFEELA 1 is trying to recreate the exclusivity that built excitement around Tesla's early models, like the Tesla Roadster back in 2008. Well, that was back in 2008 and the electric vehicle market is highly saturated at this point. So creating a very exclusive EV with a release trickling out slower than air from a tire with a nail in it, is likely not the best strategy — you'll just get left in the dust.

The AFEELA 1 is not going to make any fans from the design alone. The AFEELA 1 has to be the most nondescript, generic EV sedan designs to hit the recent market (not that it's coming out any time soon, apparently). I even recently joked that it looked like what AI would spit out if I wrote the prompt "electric sedan concept." Actually, I just did it now and the result is actually cooler than the AFEELA 1, with futuristic LED lighting and cool sliding doors. 

Back to the AFEELA 1, there's really no detailing or styling to tell it apart from any bland EV sedan out there. While I'm not expecting hypercar-level detailing, I think that the AFEELA 1 is embodying what a lot of car enthusiasts do fear about the future of electric vehicles — where's the soul? The AFEELA 1 is lifeless. If I envisioned a car buddy, I'd picture something that felt more alive, something I could connect to. Some of these EV designs are much more invigorating. 

One selling point of the AFEELA 1 that made me curious was Sony Honda Mobility calling it a "buddy." The AFEELA 1 is supposed to make drivers feel safe, supported, and comfortable, providing a lot of cockpit features that connect drivers to the car in a meaningful way. This includes promising features like 40 sensors that monitor your surroundings and make assisted riving feel safe, a personal agent that has conversations with the driver, and an advanced entertainment system including immersive sound and noise-canceling technology. 

This all sounds very interesting, but the announcement has worded things in such a way that it appears these features may still be in development. There's a chance that whatever is currently being worked on by Sony Honda Mobility may not be available when the vehicle initially releases or could even be changed ahead of that release time. Only time will tell how the development of the AFEELA 1 will go — if there's not a lot of expressed interest in the barely-available EV sedan, it's possible the project could be abandoned altogether.