Technology company Sony Group Corp (NYSE:SONY) has added electric vehicles to the list of items to carry its growth into the future and its latest model is nearing a launch with new details shared at the 2025 CES Conference.
What Happened: There are many competitors in the electric vehicle sector, but only one can also lay claim to inventing items like the Walkman and PlayStation and being instrumental in the latest and greatest technology advancements for music, movies and gaming.
Sony has been dipping its toes into the electric vehicle sector over the years and has utilized the CES event to show off prototypes and highlight new details. This year's event featured one of the most anticipated details to date, pricing for the AFEELA 1.
The AFEELA 1 is the first model under the AFEELA brand, which comes from the Sony Honda Mobility joint venture formed by Sony and Honda Motor Company (NYSE:HMC) in 2022.
The four-door sedan is scheduled for production in the United States at an Ohio plant with sales in California coming in 2025 and first deliveries expected in mid-2026.
Prices start at $89,900 for the electric vehicle, which includes a three-year subscription to some features and functions.
Online reservations for residents of California are now open for a refundable reservation fee of $200.
There are currently two trims offered for the AFEELA 1, with the other version (AFEELA 1 Signature) coming with a starting price of $102,900.
The vehicle has an estimated driving range of 300 miles and will be compatible with the Tesla Supercharging Network in the U.S.
Read Also: CES 2024: Sony Drives Its New Afeela EV Onstage With A PlayStation 5 Controller
Why It's Important: Sony Honda Mobility expects to launch vehicles that highlight the connection between people and mobility, with interactive features and the latest technology advancements.
AFEELA 1 comes with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and an interactive personal agent to communicate with. The vehicle is also customized for entertainment with a concept called "Mobility as a creative entertainment space." Each seat in the vehicle can have a unique and customized sound system and display.
"Sony Honda Mobility strives to evolve relationships with people through intelligent mobility and revolutionize the travel experience," Sony Honda Mobility CEO Yasuhide Mizuno said. "AFEELA 1 can be called a buddy, combining advanced software with meticulously refined hardware."
While Sony has excelled in several areas including video game consoles, electric vehicles will be a tougher market to tackle given the competition and stronger appetite from consumers for lower priced models.
The AFEELA 1 starting price will make the vehicle mostly marketable to consumers more worried about features like entertainment and technology inside the vehicle instead of price and battery range.
SONY Price Action: Sony stock closed at $20.91 on Tuesday versus a 52-week trading range of $15.02 to $22.71. Sony stock is up 13% over the last year.
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Image Credits – Sony Honda Mobility
