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, from Oct. 11, year-to-date Honda Prologue sales had reached 14,179 in just seven months from its release, which Electrek reports now reached 18,309 until October. In such a short time, the Prologue has already beaten competing EVs, including many Chevrolet and Ford EVs.
Of the four best-selling EVs in the third quarter, three were Tesla models and the only non-Tesla was the Mustang Mach-E. And while the Prologue hasn’t caught the uber-popular Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Rivian R1S in 2024 sales, it has surpassed them by a quarter.
A few factors may have contributed to the success of Prologue:
1⃣ The credibility of the brand name, Honda, which has built a reputation in various areas among its popular models such as the Civic, Accord, HR-V, and CR-V.
2⃣ The tried and true EV platform – General Motors’ platform, formerly known as Ultium.
Watch now: Honda shows how it’s rethinking electric cars from the ground up with exciting concept cars.
3⃣ Eligibility for a car with federal tax credit from the Inflation Reduction Act for a car with a 296 kilometer drive.
The Honda Prologue is the product of the first collaboration between General Motors and Honda, as well as Honda’s flagship brand, Acura – which also uses GM’s platform with the new ZDX EV.
Formerly called Ultium, the EV’s battery and platform design is shared for many EVs such as Cadillac and Chevrolet models, helping the Prologue start with a solid foundation. Honda says it has optimized the vehicle’s design to support the brand’s durability, stability, and driving style.
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Honda has managed to keep the price affordable for a large SUV with a range of around 300 km. As of October, the cheapest Honda Prologue goes for $44,400. Paired with an EV tax credit — and the Prologue is one of the few that qualifies for the full $7,500 back — a brand-new Prologue SUV can cost just under $40,000.
Although EV prices are low in comparison to the broader auto market at large, the average price of a new EV is still $56,902, as shown in a Kelley Blue Book report, placing the Prologue at a solid price point that helps explain the high sales. .
The math doesn’t stop there. EVs are less expensive to run and maintain, saving you money on fuel and more maintenance costs associated with gas-powered vehicles. With fewer moving parts (e.g., fluids, spark plugs, etc.), EVs require less maintenance, and recharging costs less per equivalent mile driven than gasoline, too, and the Prologue has achieved a rating of up to 107 miles per gallon.
EVs are also environmentally friendly – they don’t need petrol and emit no pollution and are more efficient than gas engines, so even if they were powered by electricity that came entirely from coal, they would still save on pollution, according to Reuters. And especially since the average US electricity grid provides 21% nuclear and 19% renewable energy, the latter of which is constantly rising, EVs clearly help keep our air clean and global temperatures from rising too fast.
The math makes sense for consumers looking to make their next car purchase an EV. In fact, you can help yourself while helping the earth.
“It’s great to see new affordable, long-range and new models entering the US EV market,” one commenter shared on an Electrek post.
“We all benefit from success stories like this: More models to choose from and a greater chance to see improvements in charging infrastructure,” one optimist wrote.
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