The Honda Prologue Is 2024’s Shock EV Success Story

• Honda’s Prologue EV is new for 2024 and doing properly in gross sales already.
• It was shut in gross sales to the Ford Mustang Mach-E in Q3 and even handed the Hyundai Ioniq 5 in the identical interval. 
• Will Honda’s future EV technique be capable to capitalize on the Prologue’s success?

You must rise up fairly early within the morning to outfox the Ford Mustang Mach-E. It is spent a couple of years now as one in every of America’s top-selling electrical automobiles that do not come from Tesla, and it took the highest non-Tesla crown this 12 months after the Chevrolet Bolt bowed out of the market. However now, and maybe unexpectedly, an unlikely competitor is gaining quick on the Mach-E: the Honda Prologue.

The latest evaluation of third-quarter U.S. electrical car gross sales knowledge from Cox Automotive has some very fascinating pattern traces. One factor that stood out to us specifically was simply how properly the Prologue is doing in its first 12 months in the marketplace and as manufacturing actually begins to ramp up.

In line with the info, the Prologue grew to become America’s fifth best-selling EV in Q3, behind, so as, the Tesla Mannequin Y, Mannequin 3, Cybertruck and Mustang Mach-E. So for non-Tesla EV gross sales, which means the Prologue takes the silver medal. And with 12,644 Prologue gross sales in Q3, it was solely off the Mach-E’s numbers by 748 models. 

Granted, the Mach-E will most likely preserve the non-Tesla chief standing by the 12 months’s finish as a result of it is simply been on sale in quantity for for much longer. However the truth that the Prologue is catching up so rapidly to successful just like the Mach-E says so much about how a lot folks need good electrical Hondas. 

I might additionally add that the Hyundai Ioniq 5 isn’t any gross sales slouch both, and, along with being one of many best-spec’d EVs round, appeared prefer it may probably take the non-Tesla gross sales chief place this 12 months. However now it has robust competitors too. 

This can be a good end result for Honda’s first trendy EV, however maybe it is not too stunning. American automotive consumers nonetheless are likely to equate Honda and Toyota with being “inexperienced” automotive corporations since each have been such pioneers within the hybrid enviornment (and nonetheless do very properly sales-wise with electrified fashions.) This summer time, we featured a survey that indicated Honda and Toyota have been thought of EV leaders within the U.S., regardless of each automakers being truly reluctant to embrace full electrification.

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Jeff Perez / Motor1

However clearly, folks need good EVs from these manufacturers; on the months when good offers and reductions could possibly be discovered, Toyota’s bZ4X confirmed huge development. It is a clientele that wishes reliable and dependable expertise and might be extra inclined to “inexperienced” than followers of different automotive manufacturers. 

And the specs on the Prologue are fairly legit. With front- or dual-motor all-wheel-drive, as much as 296 miles of vary from its 85 kWh battery and a design that does not scream “I am an electrical spaceship,” Honda’s EV crossover hits quite a lot of candy spots for mainstream success. Honda is even throwing in a house EV charger and assist with some set up prices on the Prologue, making it form of a turnkey alternative for folks going electrical for the primary time. 

Certain, beneath it truly makes use of Common Motors’ EV platform and batteries, however I am unsure many purchasers know and even care. (And GM’s Ultium platform is powerful by itself, with electrical gross sales from the American automaker exhibiting severe good points too.) 

Oh, and it has Apple CarPlay, in contrast to GM’s EVs. No surprise it is doing properly. 

Honda

The query now could be what Honda’s electrical future will appear to be. It is cleat that whereas the GM-based Prologue is fashionable, it is also form of a stopgap till Honda can get its in-house EV operations up and operating. That features enormous battery and automotive manufacturing hubs in Ohio and Canada and a novel method to EVs that goals to emphasise lighter weight, inside area and higher tech. However we have now questions on that method too, like whether or not these next-generation Honda EVs will look as on the market because the 0 Sequence Ideas that debuted at CES this 12 months, and what it means in the event that they launch with a dearer flagship sedan.

Hopefully, Honda will be capable to ship one thing that may capitalize on the Prologue’s success. And as fascinating because the 0 Sequence fashions could possibly be, a moderately-priced, good-range household crossover could be the confirmed play as an alternative. 

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