Honda is advising owners of its only electric vehicle, the Prologue, to "consider a hybrid" for their next purchase, a message that has drawn frustration from EV owners as the automaker discontinues the Prologue after the 2026 model year.
Honda's pivot from EVs to hybrids, communicated directly to its EV owners, highlights the challenges and reassessments occurring across the automotive industry as companies grapple with slower-than-expected EV demand and high development costs.
Honda is advising owners of its only electric vehicle, the Prologue, to "consider a hybrid" for their next purchase, a message that has drawn frustration from EV owners as the automaker discontinues the Prologue after the 2026 model year.
A blurb at the bottom of all Honda auto statements in July included a section titled "Consider What's Next," which promotes the automaker's hybrid lineup and tells customers to "consider a hybrid" for their next vehicle.
The message landed awkwardly for Prologue owners, as the SUV, Honda's only EV, was discontinued for 2027. The company will have no fully-electric cars in its lineup next year. Business Insider spoke with seven Prologue owners and lessees, including several who found the message frustrating or darkly funny.
"The 'consider a hybrid' note on our statements is somewhat laughable," Oklahoma-based Benjamin Crabtree, who has owned a Prologue for a year, told Business Insider. "With very few exceptions, anyone who has gone fully electric would never want to downgrade to a gas or hybrid vehicle going forward."
Honda said the pitch was part of its effort to retain Prologue customers. "Our focus is on Customer Lifetime Loyalty and retaining all of our existing customers by moving them into new Honda models," the company said. "We believe these would be great options for our returning Prologue customers."
The Prologue was supposed to bridge Honda into its next generation of EVs. The car was part of a joint effort with GM that also produced the Cadillac Lyriq, Chevy Blazer EV, and Chevy Equinox EV. The automakers scrapped their EV partnership in 2023 as costs rose and EV sales failed to meet expectations.
Honda's own electric ambitions have since unraveled. The company confirmed in mid-July that Prologue production will end after the 2026 model year, with sales continuing into early 2027 with existing inventory. In March, Honda scrapped its planned US-built 0 Series EVs, while its joint venture with Sony ended before it could build the roughly $90,000 Afeela sedan.
Instead, Honda has said it's focusing on a new lineup of hybrid vehicles, including a 15-vehicle global slate by 2030. That pivot disappointed some Prologue drivers — including Kevin Simpson, a California-based 2025 Prologue lessee — who had expected to remain with Honda for their next EV. He called the hybrid model pitch "mildly annoying and sadly ironic."
"I was following the development of the 0 Series Honda EVs, and intended one of those to be my next car," he said. "When Honda pulled the rug out from under me and other Prologue owners, I felt very let down by a company I have long admired." Simpson said he is now considering the Rivian R2 or one of the electric vehicles developed jointly by Toyota and Subaru.
Honda has said its broader reassessment of its electrification strategy could result in write-downs of $15.7 billion. The cancellations leave Honda without a new battery-electric model in its US lineup for 2027.
The Japanese automaker is not alone in reworking its electric ambitions. Automakers — including Jeep-maker Stellantis, Ford, Volkswagen, and General Motors — have canceled vehicles, delayed projects, or recorded billions of dollars in charges as they respond to slower demand, high development costs, and the loss of federal EV incentives. The federal tax credit of up to $7,500 was no longer available for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025.
However, signs indicate that the US EV market is stabilizing amid skyrocketing gas prices. Americans bought an estimated 247,226 new EVs in the second quarter, up 14.7% from the first three months of 2026, according to Kelley Blue Book. Sales remained well below the same period last year.