General Motors and Honda are detailing their partnerships around electric cars. After Honda said it would make a vehicle called Prologue over the Ultium battery platform developed by GM and LGES (LG Energy Solution), the partners disclosed plans to manufacture electric compact crossovers with their badges.
The Prologue will be an electric SUV put for sale in 2024, which already eliminates any chance that it is the vehicle Honda and GM are talking about now. The compact crossover will sit “a price point lower than” the upcoming Chevrolet Equinox and will arrive only by 2027. That suggests that the Prologue will be based on the Equinox, slated to arrive by fall 2023. Acura will also have its version of this electric SUV.
Regarding the compact crossover Honda and GM intend to sell, the only aspects we know are the ones we mentioned above. The two companies seem to be more interested in talking about the advantages their partnership can bring.
For Honda, GM’s investments in the Ultium battery will give it the EV production capacity it does not intend to have on its own right now. We have already written that Japanese companies will only invest in producing cells when they have solid-state batteries. They fear that investing in the current lithium-ion cells will lead to a money pit. By partnering with GM and its Ultium cells, Honda avoids it.
For GM, Honda’s investments in solid-state cells are attractive. When the Japanese company manages to finish development, the American automaker will have access to that technology. In other words, it will already have a solid partner to make the shift to lighter and more robust cells.
While they do not arrive, GM plans to be able to produce 2 million electric vehicles per year by 2025. Part of that production will be dedicated to Honda vehicles such as the Prologue, the Acura electric SUV, and whatever Honda and GM decide to name their electric compact crossovers.
Regarding the compact crossover Honda and GM intend to sell, the only aspects we know are the ones we mentioned above. The two companies seem to be more interested in talking about the advantages their partnership can bring.
For Honda, GM’s investments in the Ultium battery will give it the EV production capacity it does not intend to have on its own right now. We have already written that Japanese companies will only invest in producing cells when they have solid-state batteries. They fear that investing in the current lithium-ion cells will lead to a money pit. By partnering with GM and its Ultium cells, Honda avoids it.
For GM, Honda’s investments in solid-state cells are attractive. When the Japanese company manages to finish development, the American automaker will have access to that technology. In other words, it will already have a solid partner to make the shift to lighter and more robust cells.
While they do not arrive, GM plans to be able to produce 2 million electric vehicles per year by 2025. Part of that production will be dedicated to Honda vehicles such as the Prologue, the Acura electric SUV, and whatever Honda and GM decide to name their electric compact crossovers.