Prologue

Make
Honda
Segment
SUV

Honda is set to debut two new electric prototypes at the Shanghai International Auto Show in April. The cars will be the second set of the e:N Series of electric vehicles the company plans to produce. To date, Honda has released the e:NS1 and e:NP1 - both on sale in China, and the e:Ny1 based on the HR-V, which is planned for Europe only.

Honda's electrification strategy is a lot different from other automakers. Not only is the company working with GM to release new models like the Prologue SUV, but it's also joining up with Sony to produce electric cars under the Afeela brand. Along with the electric models sold through its Chinese arm, the company's approach is truly multifaceted and it's going to be interesting to see how it turns out for them.

As for these two new concepts, we suspect they'll be China-only models, but the company has said it's open to other international markets. Last year, we uncovered the company's plans to release many e:N models in Europe, trademarking the names. There's no word if this naming convention will be used in the US, but Prologue EV suggests Honda will utilize its back catalogue of names for future electric models sold here.

The e:N series naming convention isn't terrible, but just a bit clunky. Honda says it represents, "Honda's desire to energize people who are trying to do things based on their own initiative in this era of electrification."

If that feels like a fluff sentence, it's because it is, but with every company these days trying to convince you why their EVs are the best, there are only so many ways you can say your product is "exciting" and "the next big thing".

At the event, Honda will also be showcasing three electric bicycle models, its recently updated Honda Connect 4.0, and the next generation of the Honda Sensing 360 ADAS system. The two concepts are the stars of the show though. All the company has revealed are the two cars' silhouettes, but it's pretty obvious they're going to be crossovers of some sort. The company says this is the world premiere of e:N series EV, hybrid-electric, and plug-in hybrid-electric models, so the company may be showing off different variants of each.

The Auto Shanghai 2023 will open to the press on April 18 so we'll find out soon enough.