Honda is making some moves to bring more electric vehicles around the world. Using its stage at the Shanghai Auto Show, Honda announced its plans to introduce 10 electric vehicles for China in the next five years, and the Honda SUV e:Prototype is a preview of its first electric SUV to be sold in that country.
The e:Prototype (which looks like an electric version of the new, not-for-America HR-V), brings an electric look to Honda’s latest design language. The concept boasts both elegant lines and a futuristic look. We expect its production version to look pretty similar to the concept, though things like the super-slim side mirrors and inner-headlight design will most likely not make it to showrooms. It’s unclear whether this SUV, or any of the 10 EVs slated for China, will be sold in America.
As we’ve reported in the past, we Yanks will be getting our own version of the next-gen Honda HR-V, and although no date has been announced yet, we hope to see it within the next 12 months (at least in concept form). We don’t know whether the North American HR-V will have an electric powertrain, or if Honda will introduce separate nameplates for its upcoming electric vehicles.
Last year, Honda and General Motors announced a new joint project to develop two new electric vehicles for Honda, both of which will be based on GM’s new global EV platform. These vehicles are slated to go on sale for the 2024 model year, and although we don’t know the names or body styles of these models, we’re sure at least one will be a small SUV that will compete against the growing list of compact and subcompact electric crossovers slated to arrive in America in the next few months. The two vehicles under the GM-Honda partnership will be built by GM and will use GM’s Ultium battery technology, which should provide a driving range of 400 miles or more. Fast-charging capability, meanwhile, ought to afford owners to add more than 100 miles of range after just 10 minutes of charging, according to GM.
Honda didn’t give any details on the driving range, battery size, or charging capacity on the e:Prototype, but given its launch date, and the fact it seems to be built specifically for the Chinese market, we doubt it previews the vehicle Honda plans to build with GM.
Honda also revealed the Breeze PHEV in Shanghai, a plug-in hybrid SUV that’s scheduled to launch in China in the second half of this year. Like it did with the e:Prototype, Honda did not disclose any details such as driving range or fuel economy for the Breeze PHEV.
