Honda is late to the electric vehicle party. Now, Honda is depending on General Motors to get their EV plans off of the drawing board and onto the ground. Will their much-anticipated Prologue electric SUV be worth the wait? The automaker’s first North American EV will undoubtedly be compared to their decades-long reputation for great hybrid powertrains. As the 2024 Honda Prologue nears production, here’s what you need to know about Honda’s plans for EVs.

General Motors Lends Honda a Jump-Start For EVs

This was the pre-production concept….

This is the production-ready Prologue EV…

Honda’s electric SUV will be Honda on the outside, and GM on the inside. The automaker didn’t quite play their cards right when it comes to electrification. After stubbornly sticking to internal combustion and hybrid vehicles for the past several development cycles, Honda is now scrambling to make one heck of a U-turn. Why? As a global automaker, Honda pays close attention to the regulatory environment in Europe, Asia, America and beyond. Most of Honda’s major markets have announced timelines for the elimination of new combustion vehicle sales as part of efforts to combat climate change and poor air quality. 

The European Union will ban sales of new gas and diesel cars, including hybrid vehicles, starting in 2035. Japan and the United States have also announced a series of policies aimed at encouraging the adoption of EVs. Several European countries are even establishing EV-only zones in densely populated urban centers in an effort to slash emissions for public health. If Honda wants to have a future, they have to go electric.

In 2020, Honda and General Motors announced a partnership that will bring Honda’s first North American electric vehicle to market mid-decade. Why the collab? GM has invested BILLIONS in its new Ultium battery technology and electric motors, and they’re eager to increase their returns by sharing with a competitor in dire need of an electrification jump-start. Honda is far behind the others, even behind other former EV skeptics like Toyota. 

General Motors will do everything except design in the exterior and interior of the 2024 Honda Prologue. GM will even build the Prologue in its North American factories. By mid-2023, Honda-branded EVs will be leaving GM plants in Michigan.

2024 Honda Prologue Specs: What We Know

All that we can infer about Honda Prologue specs comes from what’s been announced about the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq, which shares GM’s Ultium platform with the Prologue. The Prologue is likely to be about the size and weight as the Lyriq, since they will share the same drivetrain and battery. Honda is keeping their cards close, so it’s the best we have for now.

Arriving in mid-2022, the Cadillac Lyriq will have a large 100 kilowatt-hour battery and a single rear-mounted permanent magnet electric motor delivering 340 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque. An all-wheel drive version will arrive later.

The Lyriq can receive 190 kW charging at a DC fast charger, which is enough to add 200 miles of range in a half-hour. The Lyriq will have a top-end range of about 300 miles, and we expect the Prologue to have similar figures. We recently featured the Cadillac Lyriq with a full CarEdge preview if you’d like to know more about the electric crossover entering production in 2022.

Also, we have everything you need to know about GM’s new Ultium electric platform here. It’s fascinating stuff!

Honda Prologue Pricing

Considering how other Ultium-powered EVs are priced for the 2023 model year and where Honda is positioned in the overall market, we estimate that the 2024 Honda Prologue pricing will start around $45,000. Fully-optioned trims with all-wheel drive are likely to cost between $50,000-$55,000. Lithium prices are largely to blame for the worsening inaffordability of EVs.

Honda Electric Cars: Are More Honda EVs On the Way?

Honda does already have a full BEV for sale, but it’s not coming to North America. The pocket-sized Honda ‘e’ is a much-loved city car in Europe. It seems to appeal to the same folks who love their Mini Coopers. The Honda e wouldn’t do well on the sparse interstates of America. It only has 137 miles of range.

General Motors is providing the Ultium platform for an Acura EV that will arrive shortly after the Prologue. Nothing else is known about the Acura EV, but it will likely share all of the same underpinnings as the Honda Prologue SUV. 

Still, Honda has jumped on the all-EV bandwagon. Or rather, they were left with few options considering the global regulatory environment. Honda’s target for the electrification of its full lineup is planned for 2040. That’s 5 to 10 years behind many competitors, including their partner GM. 

When Will the Honda Prologue Be Available?

Honda updated their Prologue configurator in October to 2024 availability. If that’s too long of a wait, dozens of other EVs will be on sale by mid-2022. In 2022, the Honda Prologue’s direct competitors in the crossover SUV segment are already battling it out for market share. These are the top picks for car buyers eager to get into an electric crossover sooner:

• 2022 Volkswagen ID.4
• 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5
• 2022 Kia EV6
• 2023 Cadillac Lyriq
• 2022 Tesla Model Y
• 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E
• 2023 Fisker Ocean

Need an EV in 2022? Here’s the pricing and availability of every electric vehicle on the market in 2022.

We’ll be sure to update this page as more information becomes available. Add it to your bookmarks if you’re excited about the first Honda EV in America!