Overview
- Sony Honda Mobility, which announced the move Wednesday, ended plans to launch Afeela 1 and a second model after Honda’s March 12 EV rethink changed access to its technologies and assets.
- Pre-series production had begun at Honda’s East Liberty Auto Plant in Ohio, so units built there will not lead to customer deliveries that were slated for late 2026.
- The joint venture says it will review its business direction, and Sony and Honda remain in talks about possible next steps.
- Honda has already cut several of its own electric models and warned of losses of up to $15.8 billion, adding financial pressure that weighed on the project.
- Reporting from Stern links a U.S. EV sales slump to Trump-era policy changes that removed a $7,500 tax credit, while Focus highlights Honda’s cost cuts and the venture’s uncertain future.