Prologue EV to help Honda go fully electric in the US
Honda is ramping up its global EV plans, announcing plans to produce a new pure electric SUV for the American market called the Prologue, which is part of its stated goal of reaching 100 percent electric sales by 2040.
There are precious few details about the Prologue thus far, other than a vague promise that it will provide “versatility, and driving range on par with our current lineup of SUVs”, but it’s the latest electric statement of intent from Honda, which has developed a flexible global EV platform as part of its partnership with US car giant General Motors.
“Our first volume Honda BEV will begin our transition to electrification and the name Honda Prologue signals the role it will play in leading to our zero-emission future,” said Dave Gardner, executive VP of American Honda.
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“The Prologue will provide our customers with a battery-electric SUV with the excellent functionality and packaging they’ve come to expect from Honda.”
The 2040 date might sound a long way away – although the aim is to reach 40 percent of its sale being electric by 2030 and 80 percent by 2030 – but Honda has also announced one of the more rapid shifts to electric technology in the UK, where it has pledged to phase out the sale of all petrol and diesel vehicles and go fully electrified by 2022.
Of all the many far-off predictions made by authorities and car companies, that one does feel very close.
A Honda Australia spokesman said there was precious little detail on the Prologue so far and that because it was was announced by Honda US rather than Honda Japan, it seemed likely to be left-hand-drive only and thus of little relevance to the Australian market.
If Honda is going to purse this rapid EV take-up, however, it seems likely our local market will be left with few other Hondas to buy in coming years.
