The past few years have seen a slew of electric vehicles emerging on the market. Whether it is from relative newcomers to old and established manufacturers, EVs are here to stay. This poses some interesting questions for prospective customers, however. Comparing trim packages between different manufacturers isn’t the same as comparisons between traditionally powered vehicles.
Sony and Honda’s Afeela brand is presenting their first EV built from the ground up, much like Ford’s Mustang Mach-E. How do these two EVs compare? Let’s take a look at the specs and features of each vehicle and figure out which presents the best value for the cost.
Mustang Mach-E vs. Sony Afeela EV: Side-by-Side Comparison
Mustang Mach-E | Sony Afeela EV | |
---|---|---|
Horsepower | 480 HP | 544 HP |
Range | 247 miles | 234 miles |
Charging Rate | 150 kW | 200 kW |
Battery Capacity | 91 kWh | N/A |
Mustang Mach-E vs. Sony Afeela EV: What’s the Difference?
There is a multitude of factors to consider when purchasing your electric vehicle. Let’s take a look at some of the criteria commonly associated with purchasing an EV.
Range
Perhaps the most important consideration, range corresponds to how far the EV can travel on a single battery charge. The Mustang Mach-E currently has the edge over the Afeela because it is the only one that is an active production vehicle.
There is more known about the range of Ford’s offering, a rather standard 247 miles. Ford does offer up an extended-range battery for the Mustang Mach-E product line, which offers 270 miles of range.
Sony and Honda’s Afeela EV hasn’t had much in the way of stats revealed about it. Sharp-eyed readers who have kept up with the news from CES 2023 may have noticed internal images of the Afeela EV denoting 234 miles of range at a 75% charge.
This bodes well for the operational range of the Afeela, but with production not set until 2025, it remains to be seen if this is an optimistic figure. The Afeela EV benefits from being a newer concept vehicle and, as such, takes advantage of the advances in battery and charging technology since the early days of EVs.
Price and Incentives
The American federal government offers tax credits to those purchasing an EV. Thankfully, both the Afeela EV and the Ford Mustang Mach-E fit within the voucher’s requirements. This, honestly, benefits both EVs and affords potential customers $7500 returned in taxes for their purchase of an electric vehicle.
When it comes to price, the Mustang Mach-E is one of the more affordable EVs on the market. While one can certainly find hybrid options, they aren’t likely to find a more affordable EV in the same price range that’s brand new.
Starting at $45,000 for the basic package, the Mustang Mach-E offers a comparable product to offerings from manufacturers like Volvo, Tesla, and Rivian, while also being well below the suggested retail for each of those products.
Sony and Honda haven’t revealed the price structuring for the trim packages of the Afeela EV yet. There has been some speculation about it being relatively in line with Ford’s offerings, but that remains to be seen without a full production release and the literature to confirm it. With such a feature-packed concept, it certainly could be one of the more expensive EVs on the market.
Features
Ford’s Mustang Mach-E provides Ford BlueCruise, an autonomous driving platform that enables drivers to enjoy hands-free driving across over 130,000 miles of mapped American highways. A massive touchscreen display is where the central focus of the vehicle also resides. It enables users to be entertained along with having up-to-date information regarding the performance and location of their vehicle.
The Mach-E isn’t a fully autonomous vehicle, but it does employ technology equivalent to SAE’s Level 3, meaning it provides assistive driving and situational awareness.
The Afeela EV concept car, likewise, targets an SAE Level 3, with Honda and Sony aiming for an enhanced SAE Level 2, at the minimum. It is still fairly early in the speculative cycle for everything else the Afeela will come packaged with, but what is known is a greater integration of entertainment, like the Epic Game Store for drivers to enjoy while cruising on the highway.
While little is known in the way of concrete details regarding the Afeela EV’s trim packages, Honda and Sony are packing a good amount of tech inside, so tiered packages are almost assured.
Mustang Mach-E vs. Afeela EV: 6 Must-Know Facts
- Mustang Mach-E is Ford’s first solely electric EV design.
- Mustang Mach-E comes in sedan and SUV configurations.
- Mustang Mach-E is available in AWD or RWD.
- Afeela EV is the result of a joint collaboration between Honda and Sony.
- Afeela EV is the first EV produced by the two tech giants.
- Afeela EV will support augmented reality navigation.
Mustang Mach-E and Sony Afeela EV: What’s new?
Mustang Mach-E
- Over-the-air updates: Over-the-air updates update the vehicle’s software about going to a dealership.
- New battery pack: The new battery pack has a longer range.
- New software: Several new features are added, including an augmented reality navigation system and a new voice assistant.
Sony Afeela EV
- New self-driving feature: The new self-driving feature is available on city streets.
- New Battery pack: The new battery pack has a longer range.
- New infotainment system: There is a larger screen with more features.
Mustang Mach-E and Sony Afeela EV: What’s next?
Because the exciting world of electric vehicles is constantly improving, we might see the following updates to the Mustang Mach-E and the Sony Afeela EV in the next six to 18 months:
- Improved infotainment system: We will most likely see more advanced infotainment systems in both vehicles with features like augmented reality navigation, over-the-air updates, and built-in gaming consoles.
- New exterior design: Updated exteriors could include new designs for grilles, headlights, and taillights.
- New interior features: We might see new seating materials, trim options, and panoramic sunroofs.
Mustang Mach-E vs Afeela EV: Which One Is Better?
Mystery surrounds the Afeela EV, and the first production models aren’t slated to be to dealerships until sometime between 2025 and 2026. As such, the clear winner in today’s shootout is the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Sure, it is a bit of an unfair comparison. But, given that Ford and Honda both target similar market demographics for their traditional gasoline-powered vehicles, it isn’t too much of a reach to assume the Afeela EV will fit into a similar price point and niche as the Mustang Mach-E.
Ford has made a great showing with their first round of EVs. While the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning might not have a stellar operational range, they are supported by the vast amount of resources behind Ford and its cutting-edge R&D department.
Honda and Sony’s Afeela EV might prove to be a home run, but it seems late to the market when so many other auto manufacturers have production models available for purchase.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Mike Mareen/Shutterstock.com.