Sony Honda Mobility has finally confirmed when the first customers of its Afeela 1 EV will receive their vehicles, while also showing us a brand new concept car during its CES 2026 press conference.
The Afeela 1 was first announced back at CES 2023, after Sony and Honda jointly showed off the original Vision S concept at CES 2020.
At the introduction of the Afeela, Sony Honda Mobility said it would hit roads in the US in 2026, and the good news is it’s set to keep that promise from three years ago.
Company CEO, Yasuhide Mizuno, confirmed that deliveries of the fully electric Afeela 1 sedan will start in California later this year, with Japanese customers next in line to receive the car in the first half of 2027.
This will be welcome news for those who reversed an Afeela several years ago, and it will be great to see the car hit the road. However, Mizuno had one more thing to show us during his presentation.
The side of the stage raised and out rolled the Afeela Prototype 2026, an SUV model which will be turned into a production car as early as 2028 for North America.
While we were able to see the exterior of the car on stage, it wasn’t possible to see inside, and no specs were provided – leaving us a little in the dark as to what exactly we can expect from this new model.
What we do know is it’ll likely get the PS Remote Play functionality of the Afeela 1, allowing you to stream games you own on your PS4 or PS5 and play them in the car (providing you have a strong enough internet connection).
Assuming the prototype follows in the footsteps of the infotainment of the Afeela, you can expect a large panoramic display up front, and entertainment screens in the rear.
These displays can be customized, personalized and themed, allowing you to put your own stamp on the vehicle, with animated wallpapers, apps and more.
We might learn more about the SUV prototype, and the new model it spawns, in the coming months, or perhaps we’ll be kept waiting until CES 2027 for the next major update.
Ford has confirmed a significant shift for its iconic F-150 Lightning pickup. Its next generation won’t be a fully battery-electric vehicle (BEV). Instead, it will be an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) that pairs the electric motofrs of the outgoing generation with a gasoline engine to increase the total range.
While the new EREV setup retains its electric propulsion system — electric motors still drive its wheels — the gasoline engine will act as an onboard generator, recharging the battery on the go. Altogether, the electric and combustion engine-powered powertrain will offer a driving range of over 700 miles.
The history of innovation at Mercedes-Benz goes back to the invention of the car itself. For most of that time, innovation has gone hand in hand with classism. Mercedes typically introduces new tech on its most-expensive cars first, allowing it to trickle down to more-affordable models once some of the development costs are amortized. Now the world’s oldest automaker is entering its egalitarian era.
Mercedes tried its normal strategy with its EQ-series EVs, launching the EQS sedan and following it up with other models. But those cars were duds, so Mercedes is switching things up. The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class — the automaker’s entry-level model for the United States — launches as an EV (a hybrid will also be available) and sets the technological tone for models to follow.
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