Quietly, Honda‘s first electric vehicle gains momentum in a highly competitive EV market, beating expectations and challenging Tesla’s reign, at least in the realm of mid-sized SUVs.
During the first three months of the period through September 30, Honda says it sold some 13,000 Prologues, the fifth-best-selling EV in the US. The model is still behind Tesla’s Model Y, the top-selling electric SUV.
That’s largely because of this Honda long-standing customer loyalty: nearly two-thirds of Prologue buyers were previous Honda owners. Reliability and affordability factor almost as highly for many drivers as any concern over equipment and power performance.
Utah resident Melissa Jones is one of those motorists. The purchase of her Pacific Blue Prologue was her 19th Honda. “It’s not that I really like electric, it’s just that I wanted the new Honda to try it out,” Jones said. “We drove it as soon as the dealer got one in.” Though Jones is not particularly driven by environmental concerns, a smooth transition from oil to electric has made the Prologue endear to Honda enthusiasts.
At Paragon Honda in Queens, New York, the Prologue has been slowly picking up steam. “One Prologue is being sold for every three CR-Vs” in September, based on competitive pricing and incentives, said finance manager Larry Abreu. “There’s just so much value-it’s hard to pass up,” he explained.
Part of the Prologue’s appeal is that it doesn’t draw attention to itself:. Bloomberg Intelligence reported it’s priced at $47,400 for the base model, just below what most Americans spend on a new car. It isn’t likely to have anything like the extreme performance offered by some Tesla electric vehicles, but the rather practical design and more elevated features of the Prologue are really going to appeal to those who know Honda pays attention to detail. The expansive interior of this vehicle also includes an expansive sunroof and generous smartphone charging pad in addition to a large storage bin under the center console, which further enhances the driving experience without overwhelming the driver.
However, the Prologue’s greatest benefit might be its saving in maintenance. It is an electric vehicle and hence requires much less maintenance than standard gas-consuming cars. Actually, it saves the owner almost $1,000 a year in maintaining it, as compared to standard cars, according to AAA. In addition to that, Honda’s reputation for reliability carries over into its electric offerings, promises customers some reassurance in this new electric world of driving.
Mike Eppink of Ohio recently switched from his 2022 Honda Pilot as a partly fuel-cost-conscious reason behind buying the electric SUV. According to Eppink: “I like where the electric cars are going. They really aren’t all that pricey once you dive deep down into the actual numbers, you know? It only made sense once they switch to an electric that the costs of gas are indeed becoming serious for his family especially with a son’s activities adding $250 a month to it.
The most recent in the sequence of positive sentiments that would define the US EV market were just eased by a threat of slowdown, coming out at Honda’s latest successful move, the Prologue. Third-quarter US sales increased 5% from Q2 at 346,309, up 9 percentage points of total new cars to an all-time record. With the latest developments in affordable electric options by producers such as Honda, Chevrolet, and Cadillac, even the right number of consumers who previously feared reaping the benefits of electric vehicles because they were too expensive have been put on notice.
Tesla, still the market leader, sold close to 167,000 vehicles in the same timeframe. Its market share fell below 50 percent, however. Its market position is increasingly under threat by more affordable and accessible electric offerings like competitors Chevrolet’s Equinox and Blazer models-two of whose models combined brought in nearly 18,000 buyers in the third quarter.