Honda’s first electric SUV is already a top-selling EV in the US — here’s what’s driving interest
Honda’s first all-electric SUV, the Honda Prologue, was the fifth-best-selling electric vehicle in the United States during the third quarter of 2024, Electrek reported.
According to the latest Kelley Blue Book EV sales report, as of Oct. 11, year-to-date Honda Prologue sales had reached 14,179 in just seven months since its release, which Electrek reports is now up to 18,309 through October. In such a short time, the Prologue has already outperformed rival EVs, including many Chevrolet and Ford EVs.
Of the four EVs that sold more in the third quarter, three of them were Tesla models and the only non-Tesla was the Mustang Mach-E. And while the Prologue hasn’t yet caught the uber-popular Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Rivian R1S in 2024 sales, it did pass them for the quarter.
A few factors could have contributed to the Prologue’s success:
1⃣ The reliability of the brand name, Honda, which has built up popularity across different demographics between its popular models such as the Civic, Accord, HR-V, and CR-V
2⃣ The EV’s tried and true framework — General Motors’ platform, previously known as Ultium
3⃣ The car’s affordability with federal tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act for a car with a driving range of 296 miles
The Honda Prologue is the product of a first-ever partnership between General Motors and Honda, along with Honda’s luxury brand, Acura — which also uses the GM platform with the new ZDX EV.
The previously named Ultium, an EV battery and platform design shared across many EVs such as Cadillac and Chevrolet models, helps the Prologue to start with a proven base. Honda says it fine-tuned the car’s design to champion the brand’s durability, comfort, and personalized driving style.
If you were going to purchase an EV, which of these factors would be most important to you? Cost Battery range Power and speed The way it looks Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Honda was able to keep the price affordable for a spacious SUV with nearly 300 miles of range. As of October, the cheapest Honda Prologue goes for $47,400. Paired with EV tax credits — and the Prologue is one of the few that qualifies for the full $7,500 back — a brand-new Prologue SUV could cost just under $40,000.
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While EV prices have dropped in comparison to the wider car market at large, the average price of a new EV is still $56,902, as shown in the Kelley Blue Book report, putting the Prologue at a solid price point that helps to explain the high sales.
The math doesn’t end there. EVs cost less to power and maintain, saving you money on fuel and many car maintenance costs associated with gas-powered cars. With fewer moving parts (e.g., fluids, spark plugs, etc.), EVs just require less upkeep, and recharging costs less per equivalent mile driven than gasoline, too, and the Prologue earned a rating of up to 107 miles per gallon equivalent.
EVs are also environmentally friendly — requiring no gasoline and emitting no tailpipe pollution and operating at a higher efficiency than a gas-powered engine, so even if they were powered by electricity that entirely came from a coal plant, they would still save on pollution, according to Reuters. And especially since the average U.S. grid power supply features 21% nuclear and 19% renewable energy, the latter always rising, EVs clearly help to keep our air cleaner and global temperatures from rising faster.
The math makes sense to customers looking to make their next car purchase an EV. In effect, you can help yourself while helping the planet.
“Good to see new affordable, long-range models and new brands entering the US EV market,” one commenter shared on the Electrek post.
“We all benefit from success stories like this: More models to choose from and greater chance of seeing improvements in charging infrastructure,” one hopeful commenter wrote.
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