Honda has always been a leader in technology and innovation, but the Japanese automaker is slightly behind the competition when it comes to electrification, at least in North America, as the brand’s lineup currently does not include any fully electric models.
Fortunately, the Japanese automaker is about to catch up, as its very first electric vehicle, the Prologue, will soon enter the market as a 2024 model. Moreover, Honda will quickly follow up with another model, as the commercialization of another 100% electric SUV is planned for 2025.
A new platform
Honda and General Motors decided to join forces to develop new electric vehicle technologies a few years ago. The Prologue notably uses the Ultium platform, which serves as the basis for many GM models. However, Honda intends to do things differently for its next SUV, which is expected to benefit from a new platform. Not much is known about it, apart from the fact that it should be an intermediate SUV or perhaps even a full-size SUV. The most persistent rumors suggest that it could be a three-row SUV, which would make sense since there are very few electric models in that category at the moment.
Therefore, this will be the second 100% electric model for the automaker in North America, and one can imagine that the brand’s future electric vehicles will follow quickly.
A pair
It is worth mentioning that the Honda Prologue will share many elements with the future Acura ZDX. Thus, we can expect the same to be true for the brand’s second electric SUV, which could also have a counterpart within the Japanese automaker’s luxury division.
An ambitious goal
It’s hard to imagine that Honda could sell half a million electric vehicles by 2027 with General Motors, considering it currently offers no models in that segment in North America. Of course, General Motors is well advanced on its side. However, I dare to believe that the transition will be very rapid for Honda, and since it is a very popular brand in North America, nothing is impossible. The Japanese automaker also aims to become a 100% electric brand by 2040, another ambitious but possibly achievable goal. Additionally, it’s important not to forget that Honda is working on the development of fuel cell systems, a technology that could significantly accelerate things if its popularity continues to increase.
Jean-Sébastien Poudrier