Honda on Wednesday released a teaser for its Prologue electric crossover SUV, which is scheduled to go on sale in 2024.
The Prologue will be Honda’s first mass-market EV for the North American market (Honda previously mentioned sales estimates of 70,000 units annually), and the first Honda EV sold here since the Clarity Electric was discontinued after the the 2019 model year.
While Honda is developing its own dedicated EV platform called the e:Architecture, the Prologue will be based on General Motors’ Ultium component set. So will a companion Acura model also scheduled to launch in 2024. The Acura EV is expected to be built alongside the Cadillac Lyriq at GM’s factory in Spring Hill, Tennessee, while the Prologue is tipped to be manufactured at GM’s plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico.
2024 Honda Prologue
The underlying architecture may come from GM, but Honda noted in a press release that the exterior styling was a product of its own design studios in Los Angeles and Japan. Teams on opposite sides of the Pacific used virtual reality tech to keep the project going despite coronavirus-related restrictions.
The teaser image shows a fairly conventional SUV shape, but Honda said special attention was paid to aerodynamics to reduce cabin noise. The absence of an engine makes wind noise more noticeable in an EV, the automaker noted.
Following the launch of the Prologue, Honda plans to begin production of vehicles based on its in-house e:Architecture in 2026. A line of affordable EVs based on an additional architecture co-developed with GM as part of an extended collaboration between the two companies will follow in 2027. Globally, Honda plans to launch 30 EVs by 2030—including two sports cars.
