The Honda Prologue Gets Major Boost with Federal Tax Credit Eligibility

by Chris Teague

Published: March 6th, 2024

Honda leaned on General Motors to help get its EV program off the ground here in the U.S., and it appears that the partnership is paying off in other ways. The automaker recently announced that its upcoming Prologue EV would be eligible for federal tax credits of $7,500, meaning buyers can get around 15 percent off the SUV’s purchase price at the point of sale.

The Prologue rides on GM’s Ultium platform, which also underpins the Chevy Blazer EV, Equinox EV, and Silverado EV, among many others. The Equinox EV will be eligible for the credits when it arrives, but several GM models lost eligibility at the start of the year with the introduction of new supply chain requirements. The automaker has discounted some of those models to compensate and said that it expects all of them to regain eligibility soon.

Tax credits bring the Prologue’s starting price down to $41,295 after a $1,395 destination charge. Adding all-wheel drive pushes the base EX trim’s price to $44,295. The Touring trim starts at $45,595, and the top Elite trim at $51,795. That makes the Prologue only slightly more expensive than the Ford Mustang Mach-E to start.

Those prices aren’t terrible for an EV today, and the Prologue’s specs promise a decent ownership experience. The base range is 273 miles, which applies to the top Elite trim with AWD and 21-inch wheels. The Touring and EX AWD models with 19-inch wheels return 281 miles, and the FWD models get up to 296 miles per charge.

Acura’s upcoming ZDX EV shares much of its engineering with the Prologue, including the General Motors bones. While the automaker has not announced tax credit eligibility for that SUV, its American roots will likely help its cause when tax time comes.

[Image: Honda]

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Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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5 of 19 comments

Jalop1991 on Mar 06, 2024

Did they equip this with their special equity-destroying VCM--in this case, Variable Circuitry Management where they disable various circuitry to "save you money"?

Like Reply
- The Oracle on Mar 06, 2024
  
  Probably
  
  Like
ToolGuy on Mar 06, 2024

Honda fans will buy this to celebrate the greatness that was Honda in 1986, and then wonder why it isn't as good as a Honda from 1986. 😉

2 Reply
- See 1 previous
- The Oracle on Mar 06, 2024
  
  Most Honda fans these days weren’t driving back then and don’t have that baseline.
  
  Like
- ToolGuy on Mar 06, 2024
  
  Here's a serious question, @The Oracle:
  Back in Honda's glory days (Peak Honda was a long time ago, says me), the product was 'so good' (relative to the competition) that the customers would walk barefoot over broken glass at the dealership to get at the product. The dealers were fairly abusive in general as documented in Steve Lynch's excellent book "Arrogance and Accords: The Inside Story of the Honda Scandal" (which I purchased and have read some of and should get back to soon).
  So my question: If it is a rebranded GM vehicle, what is Honda bringing to the table? Not the dealership experience, I would say. Why buy this over its 'twin'? Thanks.
  
  Like

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