American Honda has partnered with Electrify America and EVgo to provide a nationwide charging network for future Honda and Acura electric vehicle owners. The brands currently don't have a pure EV in their US portfolio but that's set to change in 2024 with the Honda Prologue EV and the 2024 Acura ZDX electric SUVs.
Honda estimates that the partnership with Tesla for North American Charging Standard (NACS) adoption, and deals with Electrify America and EVgo will open up 100,000 DC fast chargers for its EV customer base by 2030.
The latest deal includes incorporating a single smartphone app for all charging-related requirements. Customers will be able to use the HondaLink and Acura EV apps to pay for charging, locate stations, enroll in subscription plans, and more.
The Japanese automaker is claiming to be the first in the US to offer charging credits across multiple networks. Honda and Acura customers will be able to choose from multiple charging credit packages, including a $750 EVgo public charging credit, $500 home charging installation credit, $300 EVgo Level 1 and 2 charging credit, and more.
Both the Prologue EV and the ZDX SUVs will get the combined charging system (CCS) port at launch and are also planned for NACS compatibility – although Honda didn’t mention the exact timeframe for availability of the NACS adapter. More details are expected closer to the launch date of the two EVs. Honda is also planning to launch a new EV in 2025 in North America with a NACS port built-in.
Both EVs are based on General Motors’ Ultium architecture, and will possibly share the battery and drive units with GM models like the Chevrolet Blazer EV. Honda executives admitted last year that it would be difficult to differentiate Honda EVs and GM EVs in terms of performance due to identical underpinnings.
BMW, Honda, and Ford recently announced the creation of ChargeScape, LLC, a platform for EV owners to manage their energy usage. Participating customers will be able to earn rewards by charging their EVs when electricity demand is low, and by transferring the charge from EV batteries back into the grid during times of peak demand or emergencies.
Honda is also developing a new electric vehicle with Sony under the Afeela moniker. The Afeela EV prototype appears like a gadget on wheels with excessive digital real estate inside. The EV will reportedly be equipped with SAE Level 3 driver assistance systems thanks to Qualcomm chips. It is set to enter production in 2025 at one of Honda’s Ohio plants.
