Prologue first drive: A beginner-level EV on par with Honda’s first entry into the segment
Honda Motor Company sits on the cusp of delivering its first EV – the Prologue – to the US market. Developed with the help of General Motors, this all-electric SUV is a notable start to zero-emissions vehicles and should do well with fans of the Japanese brand who are new to EVs. I got to drive the Prologue in California last month and have plenty of thoughts.
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The Prologue kicks off Honda’s venture into US EVs
It’s been three years since Honda first announced plans for a new EV called the Prologue SUV as part of a welcomed strategy to go all-electric by 2030… well, at least in China to start.
Since then, Honda’s electrification strategy has been bolstered and divided into three phases en route to introducing 30 EVs globally by the decade’s end. In the US market, Honda’s EV journey begins with the Prologue – a fitting name.
We saw the Prologue’s design process teased in the summer of 2022 ahead of an official unveiling that fall. Following a sneak peek last September, Honda shared the range and pricing of the Prologue trims last month, and it’s encouraging.
As you’ll see below, the base-level, single motors trim of the Prologue starts under $50,000 and delivers nearly 300 miles of EPA range. After driving the upcoming SUV myself, I’d say there are a lot of pluses for customers, but if you’re looking for anything new and groundbreaking in style and performance, you’re best to look elsewhere.
The Honda Prologue is a more than able new EV
As you may recall, during the initial announcement of the EV, Honda’s Prologue SUV was developed alongside GM and sits atop the American automaker’s Ultium platform, which also powered the upcoming ZDX SUV from Honda’s luxury brand Acura.
While the two auto giants continue to work together to deliver a massive EV charging network in North America through the IONNA joint venture, Honda has since cut ties with GM to co-develop future affordable EVs and will go it alone in the future.
In experiencing the Honda Prologue EV inside and out, there is GM DNA all over it, from the interior components to the weight of the Ultium pack (the Prologue Elite’s curb weight is about 5,300 lbs) and drive style. I’ll get into my driving experience below, but first, let’s dig into the performance specs the SUV delivers.
| 2024 Prologue Trim |
EX (FWD) | EX (AWD) | Touring (FWD) | Touring (AWD) | Elite (AWD) |
| Horsepower | 212 hp | 288 hp | 212 hp | 288 hp | 288 hp |
| Torque | 236 lb.-ft. | 333 lb.-ft. | 236 lb.-ft. | 333 lb.-ft. | 333 lb.-ft. |
| Max Towing | 1,500 lbs. | 1,500 lbs. | 1,500 lbs. | 1,500 lbs. | 1,500 lbs. |
| Battery Capacity | 85 kWh | 85 kWh | 85 kWh | 85 kWh | 85 kWh |
| EPA Range | 296 miles | 281 miles | 296 miles | 281 miles | 273 miles |
| EPA MPGe (City/Hwy/Combined) |
107/91/99 | 101/88/95 | 107/91/99 | 101/88/95 | 99/84/92 |
| Level 2 AC Charge Rate |
34.1 miles/hour | 34.1 miles/hour | 34.1 miles/hour | 34.1 miles/hour | 34.1 miles/hour |
| DC Fast Charge Rate (20-80%) | 35 mins | 35 mins | 35 mins | 35 mins | 35 mins |
As you can see, the Prologue’s specs are more than adequate compared to the rest of the compact electric SUV segment. Especially when you factor in pricing, which I cover below. The 296 miles of range offered by the two single-motor trims is more than most consumers need on a daily basis, so I’d highlight that as a significant initial selling point.
However, this SUV is heavy and doesn’t quite have the giddy-up acceleration that makes EVs so fun. If you’ve never driven an EV, however, you probably wouldn’t notice. This is more evidence, in my opinion, that the Honda Prologue is an excellent entry-level EV for consumers new to the segment. Here are some interior images before I dig into my overall experience.
Driving experience
I visited Sonoma, California, and got behind the wheel of the AWD Elite trim of the Prologue, just so you know what I was working with, as I elaborate below. From the exterior, the Prologue is sleek and aerodynamic, low and stretched. It offers a streamlined look that offers more interior space than you’d expect.
When first hopping inside the Prologue, the interior dash is vaguely reminiscent of the Chevy Blazer EV from GM. The steering wheel is a damn near match, and the center console also shares a lot of similarities.
I found the cabin roomy and comfortable, and I always enjoy air-conditioned seats… especially when hitting windy roads at high speeds (more on that later). The driver’s display was easy to read, even in sunlight, but I found it slightly obstructed by the steering wheel. The head-up display was easily visible but didn’t offer much more than my speed.
I found I didn’t use the center display often because there were a lot of tap-throughs, and I didn’t feel the menus were intuitive when searching for what I needed, like drive modes. It turns out there are only two drive modes in the Prologue: Standard and Sport, which are activated by a button to the left of the steering column. I thought that was strange, although easy to use.
The regenerative braking was available in several levels, which is excellent for EV drivers, new and seasoned, and I found the stiffest settings to my liking – easy one-pedal driving. However, activating the regen was not ideal. There’s a bumper on the pack of the steering wheel that looks like it would easily allow you to switch regenerative settings, but no such luck – just two buttons to skip and restart tracks playing on the infotainment system.
Instead, you have to tap through multiple menus to find the regenerative braking settings, and I actually had to ask a nearby tech for help during a pitstop because I couldn’t find it. Not ideal.
Now for the drive.
I would say the Honda Prologue EV did not wow me in any way regarding torque and acceleration, especially for a dual-motor powertrain. I found it sluggish and heavy, especially from a standstill. That said, I noticed more of the SUV’s agility at higher speeds. Once it got going on a rare straightaway within the winding roads of wine country, it really got going (I broke a lot of speed limits).
Still, I had complete confidence in overtaking other cars, but acceleration could have been quicker and more responsive compared to similar EVs I had driven in the past. I also felt little difference when activating Sport mode. I would honestly have preferred an Eco mode to maximize range.
Up in the mountains, the Honda Prologue EV handled every turn aside from one hairpin that had some gravel, causing that back end to skid out a bit, but I’d blame the driver for that. I came in a little too hot for such a heavy vehicle.
I personally am no stranger to the Honda brand. My Father is currently driving his third consecutive CR-V – the first of which is still in the family and just hit 170,000-lifetime miles. The automaker builds sturdy, dependable vehicles, and there’s no doubt it’s trying to bring that level of quality to its new lineup of EVs.
The Prologue is a decent start, but it’s also not 100% Honda yet. I’d compare it to a Nissan Ariya as a more than adequate EV that could serve as the perfect transition vehicle for drivers graduating from ICE to electric. I’d still take the Prologue over the Ariya and would 100% take it over the Toyota bZ4X in a heartbeat.
The Honda Prologue EV lacks the “wow” factor, but it’s a comfy, dependable ride with plenty of cargo space for its size. Honda fans will likely love it, as will consumers looking for a semi-affordable EV with plenty of space… just not a third row.
Honda still has some work to do with future EVs, but the Prologue is, by all means, an encouraging start, and I have confidence in the automaker looking forward. Trust that I’ll closely monitor how the US market responds; however, that’s always the best litmus test.
2024 Prologue pricing and availability
Interested in testing out the Honda Prologue yourself? The all-electric SUV is available for reservations now and is expected to begin arriving at Honda dealers in March. Purchases include a complimentary selection from one of three charging packages that include, a home or portable charging kit, installation credit, as well as free charging credits on both the EVgo and Electrify American networks.
2024 Honda Prologue EV pricing is as follows:
| 2024 Prologue Trim | EX (FWD) | EX (AWD) | Touring (FWD) | Touring (AWD) | Elite (AWD) |
| MSRP* | $48,795 | $51,795 | $53,095 | $56,095 | $59,295 |
What do you think? Could you see yourself in a Honda Prologue? What trim and color are you going with?
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A new whitepaper by heavy truck makers PACCAR and Dragonfly Energy that incorporates real-world fleet trial data and Environmental Chamber Testing conducted at the PACCAR Technical Center seems to indicate that over-the-road truck drivers are ready to embrace battery power and reduce emissions – just not while they’re driving.
The whitepaper, titled Reducing Idle Time & Fuel Costs: Lithium Powered Solutions for Commercial Fleets, looked at different ways to reduce harmful diesel emissions across the duty cycles of a number of different fleet operations, and what they found was that powering a truck’s auxiliary and cabin systems with a high-voltage lithium-ion battery dramatically reduced engine idle time even under worst-case operating scenarios.
Another report by a group called the Clean Air Task Force showed that idling heavy-duty diesel engines while drivers are “hoteling” in their trucks (they’re parked, but running the engine to power the sleeper cab’s climate controls, kitchens, or electronics) exacts a heavy toll on both drivers and shipping fleets.
Idling not only burns fuel and increases operating costs at 0 MPG, it also emits a dangerous cocktail of harmul pollutants that pose direct health risks to drivers, rest stop employees, and nearby communities. Diesel exhaust contains fine particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), and numerous airborne toxins that are known carcinogens, making them a serious problem even to those who think climate change is a global conspiracy from “Big Science” to keep those plucky young oil billionaires in the place.
From a mechanical standpoint, extended idling also accelerates engine wear, degrades emission-control systems, increases maintenance, and shortens engine life.
Battle Born semi batteries
By adding a relatively high capacity hybrid battery (like Dragonfly Energy’s Battle Born brand batteries) to the something like a PACCAR Kenworth T680 (at top), drivers can stay parked for several hours, operating their sleepers’ refrigerators, ACs, or heaters without the noise and emissions and costs of diesel – and they probably sleep better too, without the drone of neighboring diesels cranking on around them all night.
“We believe idle reduction remains one of the most immediate and cost-effective ways fleets can reduce fuel consumption and emissions while improving driver comfort. But just as important, the industry is increasingly focused on operational efficiency and maximizing asset utilization,” explains Wade Seaburg, chief commercial officer at Dragonfly Energy. “We believe our collaboration with PACCAR not only validates the performance of our LiFePO₄-powered solutions, but also highlights how they help fleets maximize uptime, extend equipment life and get more out of their assets.”
The electrification of the auxiliary systems also reduces engine hours, stretching out the time between scheduled maintenance and reducing operational downtime.
In other words, the hybridization of OTR trucks is a win-win-win. The full whitepaper is available for download at BattleBornBatteries.com/Lithium-Powered-Idle-Reduction. Take a look at it yourself, then let us know what you think of the idea in the comments.
SOURCE | IMAGES: PACCAR, Dragonfly Energy; via AP Newswire.
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French car brand Renault believes they’ve got the key to more affordable EV batteries, and their new LFP tech promises to slash the costs of production by 40%. The result? New, desirable EVs with a sub-20K price tag that aren’t made in China.
Spanish news site Motorpasión is reporting that Renault, like Ford, is embracing a more affordable lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery chemistries that are safer, cheaper, and less dependent on rare mineral mining than conventional li-ion batteries.
That’s a big change from the recent past. Because they’re less energy dense and weigh a bit more than comparably-sized lithium-ion NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) batteries, European automakers looked down on LFPs. But with Chinese automakers like BYD, MG, and Leapmotor flooding Europe with affordable LFP-powered EVs, that stigma is fading fast.
Fun, affordable LFP vehicles
The stability, battery life, and cost advantages of LFP have become too compelling to ignore — especially as global lithium and nickel prices continue to fluctuate, making long-term business projections difficult. Renault’s decision to embrace LFPs then, is less about catching up on the Chinese’ technology than it is about catching up catching up on the Chinese’ economics, and acknowledging that affordability is the real barrier to mass adoption.
That was the thinking behind Renault’s relaunch of the R5 E-TECH (sold as the Le Car in the US) and the announcement that a new Twingo would be coming soon.
It was also the thinking behind the French carmaker’s decision to launch the new Ampere vehicle software development sub-brand back in 2023. At the time, the stated goals were to improve (what are now called) Renault’s software-defined vehicles and, separately, to reduce manufacturing costs of new EVs by 40% – which, if you’ll notice, is just about what the switch to LFP chemistries will enable them to do.
“Creating a new model of company specializing in electric vehicles and software running as of today: How better to illustrate our revolution and the boldness of our teams?” asked Luca de Meo, Renault Group CEO, at Ampere’s launch. He answered his own question, saying, “Instill a sustainable corporate vision and ensure it is reflected in each and every process and product. Build on the Group’s strengths and review the way we do everything. Form a tight-knit team and work for the collective. Harness our French roots and become the leader in Europe. Assert our commitment to our customers, our planet and those living on it.”
Renault is set to launch an all-new, all-electric version of its iconic Twingo minicar from the 1990s in the next few months (at top). The car is targeted straight at the BYD Dolphin and is expected to have a starting price of about €17,000 (just under $20,000 US).
SOURCE: Motorpasión; images via Renault.
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