Sony’s AFEELA 1 EV gets $90k price (+subscription), reserve now for $200
Sony Honda Mobility has introduced its AFEELA 1 EV at the Consumer Electronics Show, finally giving a (nearly) full unveil to the car that’s expected to go on sale in California in 2026.
Sony has been teasing us with an EV project for years now, starting back in 2020 with a surprise unveil at its CES keynote. At the time, it was called the VISION-S project and we thought there was no way it would happen… but later Sony partnered with Honda, then the car got the name “AFEELA” in 2023, and a 2026 release date.
Today Sony gave us another annual update of its AFEELA vehicle, though focused its keynote less on it than it has in the past. The roughly 6 minute segment of its CES keynote dedicated to the car didn’t tell us a whole lot of new information compared to past years, but it did give us perhaps the most important information yet: pricing and availability.
The big news today is that the car will be called the AFEELA 1, and reservations are now open at $200 a pop, with a base price of $89,900 for the “Origin” trim, and $102,900 for the “Signature” trim.
Sony didn’t tell us much more about the difference between these trim levels, but there is a short rundown available on the AFEELA website. The additional $13k for the Signature trim gets you more color choices, rear screens (which you can see in our hands-on of the vehicle prototype), a camera rear-view mirror, and larger wheels.
But, perhaps more importantly, it also gets you the car a year earlier, in “mid 2026,” whereas the Origin series is only available in 2027 (strangely, the original cars will not have the origin trim).
But we may learn more later, as the site also claims that “features may vary.” This is certainly not a full spec sheet, so we’re expecting to learn more as time goes on.
In previous keynotes, Sony has touted its expertise in software and entertainment and said that that will help them make a vehicle that better integrates vehicle software to provide entertainment for passengers and guidance for drivers through its “AFEELA personal agent” and electronic drivers aids (and 45 sensors for potential autonomous driving tasks).
One of tonight’s demos included Sony Honda Mobility CEO Yasuhide Mizuno showing off Sony’s “personal agent” features by talking to the car through his phone, after which the car came out on stage, and later left stage in the same manner. Last year, Sony drove the car on stage with a PS5 controller. Sony didn’t promise that this would become a production feature, merely referring to it as a tech demo.
Sony also specified that its “personal agent” and autonomous drive features will be subscription-based, with a 3-year “complimentary subscription” included along with the car, but no information on how much it would cost after that. Sony said that this is “subject to change” – and given the negative public reaction that some car subscription fees have gotten, we think there’s a reasonable chance that change will come.
But there’s one more catch from today’s presentation: so far, reservations are only open in California.
This is something a lot of companies have done before, because California is the state with the most EVs – and also the strictest emissions rules.
Those strict emissions rules require more EV sales than many other states, so companies often choose to sell EVs in California to help offset the emissions of their other, more polluting gas vehicles. This has led to the phrase “compliance car,” referring to compliance with California’s EV rules, to describe cars that are focused more on meeting regulations than on being a serious 50-state effort by an automaker.
While Sony doesn’t have any emissions to offset, Honda does. Honda only recently started selling EVs in the US with the Prologue, which is selling quite well across many states, not just California.
So, it’s a bit weird that either of these companies would focus solely on California, as it doesn’t seem like either of them have to worry about compliance. We reached out to figure out what the timeline would be for other states, and will update you if we find out anything new.
Reservations for the AFEELA 1 are $200 and fully refundable, and can be made on AFEELA’s website now – if you’re in California.
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A judge has officially approved a settlement in a case brought by Tesla shareholders against board members who will now have to return stock, cash, and give up on stock options worth a total of nearly $1 billion.
Let me start this article with a quote from Tesla CEO Elon Musk:
Tesla will never settle a case where we’re in the right, and never contest a case where we’re in the wrong.
Today, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick approved a settlement agreement between Tesla and all its board members from 2017 to 2020 and the Police and Fire Retirement System of the City of Detroit on behalf of Tesla shareholders over what the shareholders believed to be excessive compensation.
The agreement was first reported in July 2023, but it is only now being officially approved and we learn a few more details.
Shareholders believed that members of Tesla’s board were compensating themselves excessively with hundreds of millions of dollars between 2017 and 2020 when the average compensation of a board member of a S&P500 company is just north of $300,000.
Under the settlement, the board members agree to return to Tesla $277 million in cash, $459 million in stock options and to forgo $184 million worth of stock options awarded for 2021-2023.
That adds up to nearly $1 billion.
The board members include Kimbal Musk, Elon’s brother, Brad Buss, Ira Ehrenpreis, Antonio Gracias, Stephen Jurvetson, all close friends of Elon Musk and people who have financial dealings with Musk outside of Tesla, Linda Johnson Rice, Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, Hiromichi Mizuno and Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle Corp and also a close friend of Musk.
As part of the settlement, Tesla or the board does not admit to any wrongdoing.
Musk didn’t take compensation as part of the board, but he is embroiled in a similar case over his own $55 billion CEO compensation package, which was rescinded by the same judge after she found that it wasn’t negotiated or presented to shareholders in good faith.
The board members who received this “excessive compensation” also happened to be the one who “negotiated” Musk’s CEO compensation package.
The case is heading to the Delaware Supreme Court, as reported earlier today.
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Environment
Nissan’s Ariya electric SUV takes on the extreme weather in its new test chamber [Video]
![Nissan's Ariya electric SUV takes on the extreme weather in its new test chamber [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/07/Nissan-first-Tesla-NACS-Japan.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Despite how cold it may feel outside, Nissan’s electric SUV has likely been through colder. Nissan is proving its Ariya SUV can handle the extreme weather at its unique new test chamber at its tech center near Detroit. With temperatures ranging from -40 to 176 °F, the Ariya is being pushed to see what it’s made of.
Nissan launched the Ariya, its first electric SUV, in the US in late 2022. Over 13,400 Ariya models were sold in the US in its first sales year, with another nearly 20,000 handed over in 2024.
A few weeks ago, Nissan introduced the 2025 Ariya, starting at just $39,770. It has two battery options, 66 or 91 kWh, good for 216 and 289 miles range. That’s for the FWD models.
You can opt for Nissan’s e-4ORCE AWD dual-motor system for “thrilling acceleration” with up to 389 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. However, with the added power, you sacrifice some range. The AWD Ariya gets up to 272 miles range.
With many parts of the country seeing frigid temperatures, Nissan says its “Ariya is very well equipped” to combat freezing weather.
The electric SUV was already the first vehicle (EV or gas-powered) to drive from the North to the South Pole in 2023. Now, it’s being put through the paces at Nissan’s tech center outside of Detroit.
It’s currently around 23 °F in Detroit, with a low of 11 °F, but Nissan says it’s even colder in its unique new test chamber. The chamber is located at the Nissan Technical Center North America campus, just outside Detroit.
Nissan Ariya handles cold weather tests in new chamber
“Our chambers are capable of temperatures ranging from -40 degrees Fahrenheit to 176 degrees Fahrenheit,” Jeff Tessmer, senior manager of Zero Emission Vehicles at Nissan’s tech center, explained.
Nissan tests the Ariya in a test chamber with “far more extreme” temperatures than the typical driver will see. Tessmer said, “We want to test the worst-case scenario so that our customers will still get the same performance in a wide variety of weather conditions.”
One of the biggest goals is to prove the electric SUV’s battery can maintain charge levels even in extreme weather.
Nissan puts it through “cold soak” tests to ensure performance. During a 24-hour cold soak, the Ariya was parked in -4 °F weather with a 17% battery charge. It also wasn’t plugged in or using its battery heater. After the team returned the next day, the electric SUV still had a 17% charge and started up immediately.
The Ariya is equipped with a battery heater that drivers can turn on ahead of time to ensure optimal performance. On hot days, it includes a liquid-cooled system to regulate battery temperatures.
Drivers can also use the MYNISSAN app to pre-warm the cabin, check the interior temperature, and schedule charging times. Ansu Jammeh, an engineer on Nissan’s Zero Emissions Engineering team, said the best time to use the heating feature is “when the vehicle is plugged in so that it uses power from the grid instead of the vehicle.”
| 2025 Nissan Ariya trim | Battery (kWh) |
Starting Prices* (MSRP) | Range (miles) |
| Engage FWD | 66 | $39,770 | 216 |
| Engage e-4ORCE | 66 | $43,770 | 205 |
| Evolve + FWD | 91 | $44,370 | 289 |
| Engage + e-4ORCE | 91 | $45,370 | 272 |
| Evolve + e-4ORCE | 91 | $48,370 | 272 |
| Platinum + e-4ORCE | 91 | $54,370 | 267 |
Nissan added a new wireless charging pad across all 2025 Ariya models. The inside features Nissan’s Advanced Drive-Assist setup with dual 12.3″ infotainment and driver display screens formed in a “wave-like” shape.
Other standard features of the 2025 model include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, a Head-up display, and a Virtual Personal Assistant. It also includes Nissan’s ProPilot Assist for assisted driving.
Are you ready to check out Nissan’s electric SUV for yourself? We can help you get started. You can use our link to find Nissan Ariya models at the best price in your area today.
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Florida’s Rice Creek Solar Energy Center is now online, delivering nearly 75 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity to 12 cities across the state. The solar farm is part of the Florida Municipal Solar Project, one of the largest municipal solar initiatives in the US.
Located in Putnam County, near Palatka, the Rice Creek site is covered with 213,000 solar panels that generate enough power for around 14,000 homes. This marks the third solar site in the Florida Municipal Solar Project, with more on the way.
Twelve utilities are tapping into the clean energy from Rice Creek, including Beaches Energy Services (Jacksonville Beach), Fort Pierce Utilities Authority, Homestead, Keys Energy Services in Key West, Kissimmee Utility Authority, Lake Worth Beach, Mount Dora, New Smyrna Beach Utilities, Newberry, Ocala, Town of Havana, and Winter Park. This is the first solar power project for Havana, New Smyrna Beach, and Newberry.
Jacob Williams, the general manager of the Florida Municipal Power Agency, explained, “By working together, our members and their communities benefit from additional solar-powered energy that’s both cost-effective and carbon-free.”
The FMPA, based in Orlando, coordinates the project, while the 12 municipal utilities – who are also FMPA’s member-owners – purchase the power. Miami-based Origis Energy is the builder, owner, and operator of Rice Creek. According to Origis Energy’s Josh Teigiser, “We are honored to support this FMPA work. Long-term agreements for solar generation, including for Rice Creek Solar, provide a stable rate base contributing to lower and more predictable customers’ bills.”
Construction is already underway on a fourth Florida solar farm, Whistling Duck Solar, in Levy County. The Florida Municipal Solar Project is expected to grow to seven sites in the next few years and will generate a total of around 525 MW of clean energy.
Read more: Ohio’s largest solar farm just came online
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