One of the most hyped, unfortunately named, and curiously positioned vehicles of the decade has officially been canceled. The Afeela 1—better known as the “PlayStation Car”—was envisioned as the ultimate fusion of personal mobility and digital media. Instead, it has fallen victim to a series of industry headwinds that even the most pessimistic analysts couldn’t have predicted when it first appeared six years ago.
In the end, that six-year gap may have been the biggest obstacle of all.
How Did We Get Here?
The project that became the Afeela 1 first debuted at CES 2020 as the Sony Vision-S. It made headlines not for its styling—which was unassuming—or its driving dynamics, which Sony barely discussed. Instead, it captured attention simply because it came from a company synonymous with high-end televisions and elusive gaming consoles.
A few years later, Sony partnered with Honda to signal that this was more than a Gran Turismo fantasy. It was destined for production. By 2025, the Afeela 1 had a price tag: $100,000. It also had a maximum range of roughly 300 miles. By then, rivals like the Lucid Air were already on the road, offering over 400 miles of range for less money. The Afeela 1 looked outdated before it ever reached a factory.
At the time, I noted it was shaping up to be a PS4 in a PS5 era. A subsequent reveal of a taller SUV variant did little to shift its fortunes.
A Geopolitical EV Catastrophe
In 2020, the automotive future looked electric. Global manufacturers were preparing for a planned European ban on internal combustion engines by 2035, with many promising fully electrified fleets years ahead of schedule. Government incentives were generous, charging infrastructure was expanding, and Tesla’s CEO was still widely respected.
Then, everything unraveled, particularly in the U.S. Electric vehicles became a political flashpoint. Federal rebates were scrapped, charger-deployment incentives were terminated, and the industry found itself tangled in a web of shifting tariffs.
By 2026, a significant portion of American consumers viewed EVs as a folly. A market once ripe for electrified innovation had become a mobility minefield.
The Autonomy Question
A key selling point of the Afeela 1 was the promise of Sony deploying its digital empire across four wheels: PlayStation gaming on the go, high-definition movies in the dashboard, and Ratchet & Clank on a bumper-mounted display.
This vision was compelling in 2020, when autonomous vehicles seemed imminent. Waymo was making rapid progress, and many analysts predicted that hands-off, eyes-closed autonomy would be a standard option within years.
Fast-forward to 2026, and that dream remains largely unrealized. While hands-off driver-assist systems are common, true eyes-off autonomy is not available in any mass-market vehicle in the U.S. Without that capability, the appeal of an in-car media empire diminishes. Your passengers may be entertained, but they likely already have devices to serve that purpose—without requiring a six-figure investment in a car with an unfamiliar name.
The Intangibles
Another strike against the Afeela 1 was its design. The original Vision-S concept had distinctive lines, but they were smoothed over by the time Sony Honda Mobility finalized the production model. A white, featureless sedan is a difficult sell in a competitive luxury market.
Not every car needs to be striking, but the Afeela 1 failed to excel in other areas. Prototypes were pleasant enough, but they couldn’t match the luxurious appointments expected in a $100,000 Mercedes-Benz or BMW. Sony was betting on its media ecosystem to deliver value, but with better-looking, better-sounding, and less expensive alternatives available, the company’s cachet wasn’t enough.
Honda’s Cold Feet
The final blow came from Honda. While the Afeela 1 was Sony’s vision, it relied on Honda for production. When I spoke with Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe last year, he was already tempering expectations for U.S. EV sales. “The volume initially will probably be less than we had envisioned earlier,” he said.
Honda subsequently canceled its 0 Series EVs—a move that was particularly disappointing. While the Afeela 1 was anonymous and overpriced, the 0 Series prototypes were striking and positioned as more accessible. Their cancellation effectively removed the platform from beneath the Afeela 1.
Sony could theoretically explore a new platform. The official cancellation release left the door open, stating: “SHM will continue discussions with Sony and Honda regarding its future business plans.” But that outcome seems unlikely.
A Missed Opportunity
The Afeela 1 is dead, and with it, the dream of a PlayStation-branded car. I’ve never been bullish on this project—pessimistic might be more accurate—yet I find the outcome disappointing. Over the years, I spoke with numerous Sony Honda Mobility employees, all of whom were genuinely excited about what they were building.
And why wouldn’t they be? They were attempting something new: a radically different experience from a brand-new automaker. That level of ambition is rare. Sadly, the Afeela 1 will be remembered as a cautionary tale of why that ambition is so difficult to realize.
