Honda Unveils First All-Electric SUV, Built on GM's Battery Platform
What's the first chapter in a new book? The prologue, as Honda has aptly named its first electric vehicle, an SUV that will hit dealers in 2024.
It's the first of 30 new battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) the brand aims to launch globally by 2030. By 2040, Honda plans(Opens in a new window) to be a fully electric brand. After the Prologue, Honda will launch an EV version of the Acura SUV later in 2024.
Honda has not confirmed pricing or miles of range for the Prologue, although Car & Driver suspects(Opens in a new window) it will land around $45,000 with 250-320 miles of range. What we do know is that it'll be 8 inches longer and 5 inches wider than the 2023 Honda CR-V.
"We see a natural progression for a CR-V customer to Prologue with its slightly larger size, larger interior and capable handling," says Gary Robinson, VP of automobile planning and strategy at American Honda.
Honda currently offers hybrid versions of the CR-V and Accord, and according to Honda, hybrid customers are the first to go all electric. "Honda plans to increase the model mix of the 2023 CR-V to 50% hybrid sales and will offer customers of the CR-V hybrid a shorter term, two-year lease," Honda says(Opens in a new window). "This will enable a customer in targeted markets to easily transition into a Prologue when the new EV launches in 2024."
The Prologue and the Acura EVs will use battery technology developed by General Motors: the Ultium platform, itself a product of a partnership(Opens in a new window) between GM and LG Energy Solutions.
Rather than one large battery, as many early EVs have, the Ultium is a series of pouches that can be repositioned and swapped out over time as technology improves. It's a universalized "platform" that allows GM
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