{"id":2834,"date":"2025-09-14T17:24:01","date_gmt":"2025-09-14T14:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/?p=2834"},"modified":"2026-03-05T09:04:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T09:04:02","slug":"sonys-afeela-1-ev-enters-pre-production-can-tech-meet-the-road","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/sonys-afeela-1-ev-enters-pre-production-can-tech-meet-the-road\/","title":{"rendered":"Sony\u2019s Afeela 1 EV Enters Pre-Production – Can Tech Meet the Road?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Four years after first teasing its entry into the electric car race, <\/span>Sony has moved its Afeela 1 sedan into pre-production<\/span><\/b>, a major step toward seeing the tech giant\u2019s vision on the streets.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

But can a company best known for PlayStations, cameras, and Walkmans really compete with Tesla, Mercedes, and Porsche in the EV market?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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From Concept to Reality <\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Sony unveiled its first EV concept in 2020, turning heads at CES with a futuristic saloon packed with screens and sensors. Now, in 2025, the Afeela 1 has reached pre-production, with <\/span>Honda building the first examples at its East Liberty plant in Ohio<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Instead of building factories from scratch, Sony has leaned on Honda\u2019s manufacturing expertise\u2014an approach that contrasts with EV newcomers like Lucid and Fisker, who relied on contract builders such as Magna Steyr.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Pricing, Orders, and Launch Plans <\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Price<\/span><\/b>: $89,900 (Origin trim) \/ $102,900 (Signature trim)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Deliveries<\/span><\/b>: Begin mid-2026 in California, with Japan expected to follow in 2027<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

For early adopters, this makes the Afeela 1 a premium alternative in the EV luxury space.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Tech Meets Mobility <\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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As you\u2019d expect from Sony, <\/span>technology takes center stage<\/span><\/b>. The Afeela 1 comes with:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

40 sensors<\/span><\/b> including lidar, radar, ultrasonic, and cameras<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Ultra-powerful ECU<\/span><\/b> for advanced driver-assist functions<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Entertainment-first cabin<\/span><\/b>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Full-width dashboard display<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Digital wing mirror screens<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Rear 12.9-inch passenger displays<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Spatial audio and active noise cancellation<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

It\u2019s less about raw horsepower and more about <\/span>blending mobility with entertainment and AI-driven safety<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Performance & Range <\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Motors<\/span><\/b>: Dual setup (240 hp each, 480 hp total)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Battery<\/span><\/b>: 91 kWh<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Range<\/span><\/b>: ~300 miles<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Charging<\/span><\/b>: Max 150 kW<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

On paper, this puts the Afeela 1 behind rivals like the Tesla Model S (405 miles range) or Porsche Taycan (270 kW charging). Sony may be betting instead on its <\/span>user experience and software ecosystem<\/span><\/b> to win buyers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The Challenge Ahead <\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The EV luxury market is crowded, with <\/span>Tesla, Mercedes, BMW, and Porsche<\/span><\/b> offering faster, longer-range cars at similar prices. Sony\u2019s trump card? <\/span>Its integration of media, AI, and entertainment<\/span><\/b>\u2014turning the car into a rolling Sony ecosystem.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Industry analyst <\/span>Takeshi Miya, Tokyo-based automotive consultant<\/span><\/b>, told <\/span>Nikkei Asia<\/span><\/i>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cSony is not selling just a car. It\u2019s selling an experience\u2014a fusion of mobility and digital entertainment. That\u2019s what makes the Afeela strategy unique.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

But even with Honda\u2019s backing, Sony faces the uphill task of building trust in an industry where reliability and service networks matter as much as innovation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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What This Means for Drivers <\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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For <\/span><\/span>tech enthusiasts in Bahrain and the Gulf<\/span><\/span>, the <\/span>Afeela<\/span> 1 could be a glimpse of the future: cars as digital platforms, not just vehicles. But with deliveries still a year away, and specs already being overtaken, the question <\/span>remains<\/span> whether Sony can play catch-up in a market where expectations move fast.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Quick Guide <\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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What is it?<\/span><\/b> Sony & Honda\u2019s first EV, the Afeela 1 sedan<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Price?<\/span><\/b> $89,900\u2013$102,900<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Range?<\/span><\/b> ~300 miles<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Launch?<\/span><\/b> Mid-2026 (US first, Japan later)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Why care?<\/span><\/b> A car built by a tech company\u2014mobility meets entertainment<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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#PowerUpCity #EVRevolution #SonyAfeela #FutureOfDriving #BahrainMotors<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Four years after first teasing its entry into the electric car race, Sony has moved…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10826,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_angie_page":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","page_builder":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[102],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2834","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2834","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2834"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2834\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powerup.city\/bh\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}