The Japanese automaker has been a laggard when it comes to battery electric vehicles and we shall have to wait for the model until the year 2024 to get one. Honda had switched gears from gas-powered vehicles to electric vehicles in the middle of the decade, signifying the beginning of what the company calls the “new electrified era”.
The Revelation
Honda North America’s first electric SUV is still 3 years away from dealerships but the name of the first volume battery-electric vehicle has been revealed- it will be named “Prologue”. The new car’s name Prologue signals a new electrified era that will lead to the company’s vision of 100% zero emission vehicle sales in North America by 2040. The electric SUV is the first of the two vehicles Honda is developing with GM. Prologue refers to being a prelude to something and this first EV is just the first of a wave of electric Honda & Acura’s destined to hit the streets, as Honda aims at selling only zero emission vehicles by 2040.
What to expect from Prologue?
Prologue is one of the two forthcoming Honda’s electric vehicles that will use GM’s Ultium Cells EV platform and battery packs and claims to be highly competitive with functionality & packaging as expected by Honda customers & assured by Dave Gardner, Executive Vice President of American Honda.
He further announced plans to launch a new series of EV models in the second half of the decade on a new e: Architecture, which will be developed internally this time, unlike with Prologue where it has to rely on GM’s Ultium for its development of the platform and complicated drive train. Ultium battery packs also power EVs like GMC Hummer EV and Cadillac Lyriq. Honda has laid the responsibility of the exteriors and the interiors for both the upcoming EVs on its engineers and stylists.
Although Honda hasn’t revealed much about key details of the new SUVs, including the price or even what the car looks like, it yet aims to engage the prospective customers throughout its launch by starting a new web page Honda Automobile.
A new era of electrified Honda vehicles is coming. It starts with the fully electric 2024 Honda Prologue SUV, offering versatility and driving range on par with our current lineup of rugged SUVs.
The Honda Prologue earns its name as the first in our upcoming series of EVs, leading to a 100% zero-emission Honda lineup in North America by 2040.
Honda Automobile
Honda has always been known to make great engines and great vehicles & will enter a competitive electric SUV market, up against rivals like Tesla’s Model Y, Ford Mustang Mac-E and Volkswagen’s ID.4.
More news on Honda’s SUV front
Even the Acura SUV that is in the line up of EV 2024 is expected to have all the bills and whistles of luxury and premium of the electric crossover. Honda’s CEO Toshihiro Mibe mentioned in April that the automakers want to achieve carbon neutrality for which they set an escalating target for its global battery & fuel cell electric sales of 40% by 2030, 80% by 2035 & completely phasing out internal combustion engines by 2040.
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Keeping the target in mind, they plan to achieve this by developing their own EV platform e:Architecture by the second half of the decade. Honda also announced entering into agreement with Battery Resources to recycle batteries from Honda and Acura EVs which will be initially processed at the recycling firm site in Worcester, Massachusetts and later at a commercial scale plant that would be operational by 2022.
Outlook & Review
Even though Honda seems to have an uphill task, Prologue is still touted as a highly competitive eSUV in the mass market segment, with the EV market bustling and demand and sales rising in US markets. Better late than never, Honda’s new EV entrant could be specifically appealing to the existing Honda enthusiasts, making Prologue the milestone model for Honda in recent years.
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