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Mustang Mach-E vs. Sony Afeela EV: Which One Wins?

Mustang Mach-E vs Sony Afeela EV

Mustang Mach-E vs. Sony Afeela EV: Which One Wins?

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-ESony Afeela EV
Horsepower480 HP544 HP
Range247 miles234 miles
Charging Rate150 kW200 kW
Battery Capacity91 kWhN/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.

ford mustang mach-e vs polestar 2
The Mach-E will reportedly start using lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries, which don’t use nickel or cobalt in their construction and are cheaper.

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.

kia ev6 vs sony afeela ev
The Afeela EV will likely be priced to compete with other premium automakers, like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo, and Audi.

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

  1. Mustang Mach-E is Ford’s first solely electric EV design.
  2. Mustang Mach-E comes in sedan and SUV configurations.
  3. Mustang Mach-E is available in AWD or RWD.
  4. Afeela EV is the result of a joint collaboration between Honda and Sony.
  5. Afeela EV is the first EV produced by the two tech giants.
  6. Afeela EV will support augmented reality navigation.
kia ev6 vs sony afeela ev
The Afeela EV has a panoramic screen across the entirety of the dashboard.

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.

Ford Mach-E vs Hyundai Ioniq 5
The Ford Mach-E has an extended-range battery that is available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are either of these vehicles capable of autonomous driving?

The Mustang Mach-E and Afeela EV both are targeting similar levels of autonomous functionality. SAE Level 3 means it is capable of some autonomous driving, especially in areas where object detection doesn’t need to be as stringent as highways. That said, it isn’t a fully autonomous experience. Drivers will still need to be attentive, and the vehicle maintains full sets of controls.

 

Why is so little known about the Afeela EV?

Sony and Honda only debuted the prototype at CES in January of 2023. While other manufacturers like Ram and Mercedes were able to make stronger showings and give a better idea of their specs and features, this is still very much a prototype in active development.

The rationale behind debuting an unfinished prototype is to generate interest and give a bird’s eye view as to what is happening with Sony and Honda regarding the rapidly growing EV market.

Are EVs safe?

Electric vehicles are just as safe as any of their gasoline-using counterparts. Most modern vehicles have a variety of automatic safety features which help to avoid collisions and provide awareness of blind spots.

EVs aren’t as ingrained societally as fossil fuel-using vehicles, so apprehension is to be expected. They function as you would expect any other car though, they need regular maintenance.

The only real distinction between the two is the method of power provided. You’ll still be doing things like regular tire changes, vehicle checkups, and other standard procedures that just come with owning a vehicle.

Why are so many manufacturers favoring EVs?

Simply put, the market is trending towards electric vehicles. This also lines up with current legislative measures in the United States and Europe to do away with conventional vehicles.

Manufacturers are trying to get ahead of the curve with more matured systems by the time conventional vehicles are due to be sunset and obsolescent. As such, the market is only going to grow until it supersedes conventional vehicles totally.

Is the Afeela EV available for purchase yet?

The Afeela EV will be in full production from around 2025 to 2026, but currently only exists as a concept car shown at CES 2023.

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