The Honda Prologue EV is Selling Great in America

The Honda Prologue’s rise to prominence highlights how strategic execution can turn uncertainty into success, especially in a highly competitive EV market. By leveraging General Motors’ Ultium platform and enhancing it with Honda’s touch—like Apple CarPlay integration, good leasing options, and its expansive service network—Honda effectively positioned the Prologue as a practical and appealing choice for U.S. consumers.

Selling 6,823 units in November and 25,132 year-to-date demonstrates significant market traction, especially compared to Volvo’s EV portfolio, which sold a mere 4,819 units in 11 months. This disparity emphasizes Honda’s ability to make EV ownership more accessible and attractive, combining solid production, distribution, and pricing strategies with brand trust.

The Prologue’s success also signals Honda’s potential in electrification beyond this initial collaboration with GM. It could serve as a strong foundation for future, more independent EV endeavors. Meanwhile, the sluggish sales of Volvo’s EX40 and C40 suggest that even premium features and brand reputation are not enough without addressing broader issues like affordability, production scalability, and effective marketing.

The Honda Prologue’s success compared to its General Motors counterparts, such as the Chevrolet Blazer EV and Cadillac Lyriq, highlights Honda’s ability to stand out in a competitive market despite shared origins. Built in the same factory in Mexico as the Blazer EV, the Prologue has managed to sell 6,823 units in November alone, nearly matching the Blazer’s 7,998 units sold across the entire previous quarter. This performance indicates that Honda is excelling in areas where GM may be falling short, even with similar underlying platforms.

Honda’s strong brand reputation for reliability and value likely played a significant role in attracting buyers, particularly those who may have been wary of GM’s earlier struggles with its Ultium platform. By offering a customer-friendly approach with competitive lease deals, readily available inventory, and a robust service network, Honda has positioned the Prologue as an appealing, practical EV choice.

The Prologue’s ability to outperform not only the Blazer EV but also competitors like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Toyota bZ4X, and Nissan Ariya in October reflects its strong market appeal. Meanwhile, the Chevrolet Equinox EV’s solid sales of 9,772 units in Q3 show the ongoing demand for smaller, affordable EVs, but the Prologue’s momentum suggests Honda has found a winning formula by effectively leveraging GM’s platform while enhancing it with its own strengths. This success underscores Honda’s potential to expand its presence in the EV market and outperform competitors, even in crowded segments.

The Honda Prologue’s success illustrates that selling more EVs doesn’t require over-the-top innovation or flashy gimmicks—it’s about offering a solid, reliable choice that meets the needs of everyday drivers. The Prologue provides just enough in key areas to instill confidence, ticking the right boxes without trying to reinvent the wheel. With up to 296 miles of range, a maximum DC charging speed of 150 kilowatts, and the inclusion of Apple CarPlay—an omission in GM’s latest EVs—it delivers practical value that resonates with consumers.

It’s not about excelling in any single area but about being good enough across the board to make buyers feel they’re making a smart, safe choice. Decent range, decent looks, and decent specs are often all it takes to win over a large segment of buyers who simply want a dependable EV that doesn’t feel like a gamble. The Prologue’s balanced approach demonstrates that this straightforward strategy can yield impressive results in a rapidly growing but increasingly crowded EV market. EVinfo.net recommends the Honda Prologue.

25 Years Before The Prologue, The Honda EV Plus Was One of the First Modern EVs in America

Motor1 reported that the Honda EV Plus deserves more recognition for its pivotal role in EV history. Released in 1997, it was a trailblazer in multiple ways, particularly as the first production EV in the U.S. to use nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries instead of traditional lead-acid batteries. This advancement allowed it to achieve a range of 81 miles, which was groundbreaking for its time. Its efficient brushless DC motor, developed by Honda, was also ahead of its time, showcasing the company’s commitment to innovation.

Honda tells the story of how the EV Plus was born out of a discussion about the General Motors Sun Racer, the solar car that had taken the first place at the inaugural World Solar Challenge (WSC) race held in Australia in November 1987.

A meeting of top management was held at Honda R&D in October 1990 regarding Honda’s entire range of products, debating the direction that R&D should take for the last decade of the 20th century. The debate included arguments relating to electric vehicles, for which a project had been started two years earlier.

Takefumi Hiramatsu, the Research Administrative Director (RAD) of a development project for the commercialization of electric vehicles, attended the meeting.

“It was at that meeting that I was again convinced to continue the full-scale development of electric vehicles,” recalled Hiramatsu.