American Honda Motor Co. has big plans for its first full-electric, high-volume SUV that General Motors will help build and power.
American Honda said in a statement on Monday that its initial annual sales target for the Prologue SUV EV was 70,000 units in the United States when the car goes on sale in 2024.
The Prologue will use Ultium battery and motor technology developed by GM for use in its upcoming electric vehicles, such as the Detroit-built GMC Hummer electric pickup that goes on sale this fall and the Cadillac Lyriq 2023 SUV, which will go on sale. released next year. GM filled all reservations for the Lyriq Debut Edition in 10 minutes on Saturday, said Rory Harvey, vice president of Global Cadillac. Other Lyriqs will be available to order from next summer.
Honda will provide the exterior and interior design for the Prologue 2024. It will also include the “features” of the Honda brand, Free Press automotive critic Mark Phelan wrote in a June column.
Neither a GM nor an American Honda spokesperson would say which of GM’s assembly plants will build the Prologue. GM is building a new battery plant in Lordstown, Ohio, as part of its Ultium LLC joint venture with LG Chemand another in Spring Hill, Tennessee. GM has said its Spring Hill assembly will build the Lyriq.
Around the same time last year, Honda and GM formed a North American automotive alliance. In it, the two share a range of vehicles, which will be sold under the separate brands of each company, as well as cooperation in purchasing, research and development and other connected services.
Honda and GM take advantage of their size by purchasing cheaper supplies, thereby saving money, allowing them to invest in the development of future products. The partnership includes the development of vehicles, batteries and fuel cells.
“The launch of our first volume battery-electric vehicle in 2024 is the start of an exciting new direction for Honda,” said Dave Gardner, executive vice president of national operations at American Honda in a statement.
The automaker’s initial approach to selling the Prologue will be regional, focusing on California and the states of Texas and Florida. Honda expects these regions to account for the bulk of sales early in the launch due to higher customer acceptance of electric vehicles and regulatory requirements.
As the electric vehicle infrastructure grows and customer interest grows nationwide, Honda said it will expand its sales and marketing efforts to other parts of the country.
“We are working with our dealers to plan the transition from selling primarily gasoline vehicles to selling 100% electric vehicles by 2040,” Gardner said.
GM said earlier this year that it aspires to have its entire line of light-duty vehicles zero-emissions by 2035.
Following the launch of Prologue, Honda plans to introduce more electric vehicles based on its new electronic architecture under development and increase sales to around 500,000 electric vehicles by 2030, he said.
Honda’s initial 40% zero-emission vehicle sales targets by 2030 hinge on “fair and equitable access to state and federal incentives for electric vehicles designed to encourage U.S. consumers to purchase electric vehicles,” he said. the company said in a statement.
Honda also plans to increase the number of hybrids it builds in the United States as it moves away from internal combustion engines. The automaker currently produces Accord, CR-V and Insight hybrids in the United States, Phelan wrote.
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Contact Jamie L. LaReau at 313-222-2149 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and subscribe to our automotive newsletter. Become a subscriber.
