If you want an electric car that offers both fun-to-drive dynamics and plenty of practicality, the 2024 Honda Prologue is well worth a look. It has a stylish exterior, innovative technology and a spacious interior that can accommodate five adults. With a choice of powerful motors and ultra-rapid charging, it has the power and range to take on the toughest road trips.
The Prologue’s unique e:badging and roof rails are just some of the ways you can personalize your adventure-ready SUV. Featuring an aerodynamic design, the Prologue is efficient and smooth-riding, with an available panoramic glass roof to make every journey an enjoyable experience.
In the UK, EVs are already popular thanks to a number of government incentives. The Plug-in Car Grant (PIC) covers up to PS35,000 of the purchase price of an eligible car, while the EV tax credit can reduce the final bill by another USD 7,000 or so.
However, even when taking these subsidies into account, it’s difficult to find an affordable EV under USD 50 000. Only five of the 25 new models to be launched in 2024 will have a sub-USD 50 000 price tag, and just two are expected below USD 30 000. The rest are all SUVs and large cars.
While this is likely to reflect concerns about range compared with ICE cars and the availability of public or shared charge points, it could also be a result of carmakers’ attempts to limit additional costs as battery prices continue to fall. Regardless, it’s likely that average range will continue to grow steadily as novel battery technologies and manufacturing processes improve and consumers’ willingness to pay for increased capacity increases.
Outside the major markets, growth in EV sales has been much faster, especially in emerging and developing economies (EMDEs). Sales of fully Electric vehicles 2024 have quadrupled in Thailand, while they’ve more than doubled in Brazil and Viet Nam. These results are due in part to new incentives, including subsidies for domestic battery production and lower import duties compared with ICE vehicles.
In EMDEs, SUVs and large models will continue to dominate sales, with over 85% of sales in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Viet Nam being made up of these types of models. Nonetheless, sales of small and medium cars are growing, with a handful of models gaining popularity despite relatively high price tags.
The Ford Explorer EV is one such example, with deliveries of its battery-powered sibling set to start later this year. Although the show car’s wilder touches – back-hinged rear doors, detachable panel work and different sized ‘plug in your own’ dashboards – are unlikely to make it into production, it will offer a sensible-priced, four-door EV that can be used as everyday transport.