MENU
SEARCHTemporary mall location comes as brand faces lawsuit from state franchised dealers
Honda's U.S. division partnered with Sony Group Corp. to create the Afeela auto brand.
Honda
A Honda joint venture that’s made a luxury electric car opened a temporary “studio” in Silicon Valley.
The Afeela brand pop-up in San Jose will operate for six months, according to Sony Honda Mobility of America, the venture between Honda’s U.S. division and Sony Group Corp.
Consumers can engage in “hands-on” demonstrations of the Afeela 1 model at the studio, which recently celebrated a grand opening.
The development comes as the venture faces a lawsuit by California auto dealers over its direct sales. The California New Car Dealers Association filed in the suit in August, claiming Afeela sales illegally bypass franchised dealerships.
“CNCDA has sued Sony Honda Mobility and American Honda for violating California law by competing with Honda and Acura franchisees. It is unfortunate that another Afeela “studio” has opened in San Jose," said association President Brian Maas. "Hopefully the courts will soon agree with us that this illegal sales activity must cease immediately.”
A spokesman for Afeela didn't immediately respond to a request for a statement regarding the lawsuit.
The brand's San Jose studio is located in shopping mall Westfield Valley Fair. An announcement of its grand opening says reservations for its electric car come with a refundable $200 deposit and that deliveries are scheduled to start in California some time next year.
The venture earlier announced California Afeela studios in Torrance of Los Angeles County's South Bay area and in Fremont in the San Francisco Bay area.
The joint venture says the Afeela brand represents a mission to “bring mobility and entertainment closer together” and "redefines the in-car experience" with an artificial intelligence-powered “personal agent” and Sony 360 Spatial Sound.
LEARN MORE: New at the top of NADA
GM says it sells the cheapest electric vehicle in the U.S. market. It explains how it made improvements to the entry-level EV while keeping its price down.
Read More →
More Americans are open to made-in-China than one might think, especially the youngest, though general awareness here of its growing brands is limited.
Read More →
The overall cars segment was about flat last week, similar to the rest of the wholesale market.
Read More →
Study finds that adopters are true believers and that their satisfaction with the vehicles is growing, including for public charger experience, despite pullback of federal incentives.
Read More →
Electric-vehicle inventory dropped in December, according to S&P Global, but the hybrid market saw about a 19% year-over-year increase in supply despite being down from November.
Read More →
Subaru addition to its sole U.S. plant mirrors the automotive industry’s emphasis on the gas-alternative powertrain after recent setbacks for pure EVs.
Read More →
The year starts with declined expectations for economic conditions and plans to make big purchases. Used cars, though, are among the top big-ticket categories under consideration.
Read More →
The Honda Civic is named the most reliable new car for the money at $27,768 with a predicted 13½ year life span, breaking down to $2,058 annually, or less than half the industry average.
Read More →
A major vehicle research group points out less expensive models that earned high marks for protection, saying the cost is well worth the safety.
Read More →
Could it be an early spring when it comes to used-vehicle sales? Black Book analysts think so based on recent weeks' auction activity.
Read More →
