Honda Prologue electric SUV available early next year with anticipated EPA range rating of 300 miles

With an anticipated EPA range rating of 300 miles, DC fast charging capability and a neo-rugged design, Honda’s Prologue electric midsize SUV (earlier post) will go on sale nationwide in the US in 2024, with pre-sale activities starting later this year. Honda said the starting MSRP will be in the upper $40,000s, before the application of any government incentives or tax credits.

Prologue, co-developed with GM, is built on an electric vehicle platform and multi-link front and rear suspensions optimized by Honda engineers to deliver a sporty driving experience with class-leading refinement. Honda will offer Prologue in both single-motor (front-wheel-drive) and dual-motor (all-wheel-drive) configurations with three trim levels – EX, Touring and Elite.

Features include the latest digital services technology and features with Google built-in, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Targeting IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and NHTSA 5-star ratings, Prologue comes standard with the Honda Sensing suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies, including Honda’s first applications of Rear Cross Traffic Braking, Blind Zone Steering Assist and Rear Pedestrian Alert.

Prologue’s roomy interior and generous dimensions, including the longest wheelbase in its class (121.8-inches), position the SUV alongside the Passport in Honda’s light truck lineup. Prologue is about 8-inches longer and 5-inches wider than the CR-V.

Honda engineers optimized Prologue’s aerodynamics to maximize efficiency and driving range, while reducing wind noise inside the cabin. Even the intricate design of the wheels and the curvature and departure angle of its rear spoiler minimize wake and reduce vortex.

To further build the Honda EV brand identity, Prologue debuts with a newly designed Honda name badge in a stylized typeface that captures the modern and clean design of Prologue. In addition, to align with Honda’s global EV models, Prologue adopts e: series badging.

Two-wheel drive models are powered by a front-mounted single motor tuned for confident acceleration and maximum efficiency. Prologue Elite features standard all-wheel drive (available on EX and Touring) which adds an additional motor in the rear. This dual motor arrangement generates an estimated 288 hp and 333 lb.-ft. of torque, delivering responsive and quick acceleration.

DC fast charging is supported at rates up to 155 kW. Prologue’s 85kWh lithium-ion battery pack can recharge 65 miles of range in about 10 minutes.

Honda provides Prologue customers charging solutions both at home and on the road. Every Prologue customer can select one of three available charging packages, included in their vehicle purchase.

• Home Charging Station (11.5 kW) and $100 Public Charging Credit, plus $500 Installation Incentive (via (HHE – see below)

• Portable Charging Kit (7.6 kW) and $300 Public Charging Credit, plus $250 Installation Incentive (via HHE)

• $750 Public Charging Credit

Honda Home Electrification (HHE) is an online marketplace designed to provide clients with an easy and seamless home charging solution. HHE connects Prologue clients with a network of pre-vetted local installers through the support of dedicated Expert Energy Advisors, who will help clients select the home charging solution that best fits their needs.

Additionally, Honda has recently entered a joint venture with six major automakers to create North America’qs leading high-speed brand-neutral charging network in the United States and Canada. Expected to begin operation in summer 2024, the all-new high-power charging network will deliver market leading coverage and penetration with best-in-class customer experience in all areas, so Honda Prologue customers can charge whenever they need to with ultra-fast (350 kW+) charge points in convenient urban and highway locations.

Accessible to electric vehicles from any automaker, the network will ultimately be one of the largest in the United States and Canada, targeting 30,000 charge points at 1,350 charging stations by 2030. The first stations will open next year in the United States, followed shortly thereafter in Canada, making long-distance journeys easier for customers.

Toward its global goal to achieve carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities by 2050, Honda will introduce 30 new EVs globally by 2030 with a global sales volume of 2 million units. In North America, Honda has laid out an aggressive timeline of EV introductions leading to 2030 and ultimately to 100% zero-emission automobile sales by 2040:

• 2024: Begin sales of the Honda Prologue, co-developed with GM

• 2025: In North America, a mid- to large-size EV model based on Honda’s original dedicated e: Architecture platform will go on sale.

This year Honda announced key next steps in the establishment of its EV Hub in Ohio that will lead the company’s journey to an electrified future in North America. In October 2022, Honda announced it would invest $700 million to retool several of its existing auto and powertrain plants to establish the new EV Hub in Ohio to prepare for the production of battery electric vehicles in 2026. The Marysville Auto Plant (MAP), where Honda began auto production in America in 1982, will be Honda’s first auto plant in the US to transition to EV manufacturing.

As part of the new EV Hub, Honda and LGES recently held the official groundbreaking ceremony for the new joint venture EV battery plant to be located in Fayette County, near Jeffersonville, Ohio. The new JV facility is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024 and aims for approximately 40 GWh of annual production capacity.