Honda is a company with a wide portfolio, including (but not limited to) many quality motorcycles, as well as sports cars with long engine life. It's also known for being a recognizable brand with several popular models, such as the Honda Civic, renewed for 2022. Honda has a goal of taking its driver-focused vehicles and making them all-electric models by 2030. One major step in this quest is the 2024 unleashing of the new Honda Prologue, Honda's first electric SUV. This ironically-named vehicle is intended to be the first of its kind, with more electric vehicles due on the sales floor in the next few years.

While most details are kept closely guarded at this point, some information has already been released. Read on to discover what has been unveiled regarding Honda's Electric SUV, the Prologue.

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Ironic Naming

The name “Prologue” is rather ironic, given that this vehicle marks the start of Honda's goal to be fully electric by 2040. It's the start of what Honda refers to as its new “electrified era,” as the company aims to make its vehicles with zero-emission by 2040. Honda was reported to have trademarked the name back in April 2021, leading to speculation of a vehicle with that name being announced. While the vehicle isn't due until the first part of 2024, Honda is preparing for its arrival, starting with a new webpage for possible buyers to stay connected to updates as they are unveiled.

Further, Honda is also adding an all-electric Acura SUV around the same time, working in tandem with the Honda Prologue to help reach its goal. Honda aims to make both vehicles highly competitive and capable of serving its demographically diverse customer base. Both vehicles will have Ultium batteries from General Motors as power sources, as these batteries are optimized for an EV platform. Honda proclaims these two battery-electric SUVs will retain the functionality and packaging that come standard with Honda vehicles, and these aspects will not be sacrificed in the company's quest to become more eco-friendly. In addition to reducing emissions to zero, the company also aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

This can only be done if electric vehicle sales reach their sales goals to show evidence that these goals are practical and feasible. While Honda has released other electric vehicles in the U.S. market, such as 1997's EV Plus, 1999's Insight, or 2002's FCX, the Prologue will be the first SUV. Honda believes that customers who favor hybrid vehicles now are much more likely to buy a battery-electric vehicle, later on, so they've adapted their strategy accordingly to include more battery-electric vehicles in the near future. Honda currently aims to make annual sales figures from the Prologue somewhere between those for the Passport and Pilot SUVs.

This Is Only The Beginning

A series of electric vehicles will follow this one, all of which are planned to be built on the automaker’s own “Honda e-Architecture.” Honda wants 40% of all its sales to be from battery-electric and fuel-cell vehicles by 2030. The next step will be to hit 80% five years later in order to achieve total and complete battery-electric and fuel-cell vehicle sales by 2040.

That said, other automobile manufacturers have a significantly larger head start when compared to Honda, who will now need to catch up in order to preserve their timeline. The Clarity EV has recently been discontinued, and its Honda E-City car is now only available in Europe and Japan. That said, hydrogen and plug-in hybrid versions of the Clarity EV will still be available for sale for the foreseeable future.

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Beginning With A Battery

As Honda wants to distance itself from manufacturing gasoline-powered cars, the battery of the Prologue will be essential, using GM's Ultrium Cells, EV platform, and battery packs. As mentioned before, Honda wants its sales to be 40% battery-electric and fuel-cell-based by 2030, so they will have to invest heavily in both batteries and hydrogen fuel cells. Further, the battery-powered aspect is speculated to not last as long or be as prominent once the “Honda e-Architecture” platform rolls out.

Honda aims to transition away from any combustion or gasoline-powered engines, and unlike with previous aforementioned electric models, the Prologue will be the first in a series, not a one-off model as some predecessors were. Batteries are also intended to be recycled from Honda and Acura EVs, first being processed at a Honda recycling location, and then being sent to a commercial sale plant that is currently under construction and slated to open in 2022. Honda believes in this effort enough to raise $20 million for these operations.

Discreet About The Details

With 2024 still a few years away, Honda is keeping most details regarding the Prologue under lock and key, though a few details have already been released. Although the name, goals, timeline, and new operations have been revealed, specific details about the design, price, or inner workings of both the Prologue and its sister Acura model are still mainly speculation and conjecture. That said, both vehicles will be produced at North American manufacturing facilities as a result of Honda's partnership with Acura. Another partnership with General Motors will keep the battery supply steady.

Sources: theverge.com, engadget.com, techcrunch.com, usatoday.com