In this week’s Ask Nathan:
- Will the Honda Prologue be replaced by the upcoming Honda 0 SUV?
- Generating electricity during disasters.
The first question comes from a fan, and owner of a Honda Prologue about it’s possible replacement.
Q: (Via:Twitter/X@NathanAdlen RE: Honda Zero 0 replacing the Prologue?)
Hi Nathan. Haven’t heard much from you these past months and I hope things are still okay. We met last year at the Apple store in Cherry Creek. You were nice enough to listen to me and my fiance complain about her Solterra and we did talk about some other models. Last year when we talked about the Honda Prologue, you were right on target about the things I would like and not so much. We got an incredible deal on a Honda Prologue Touring FWD and it was the car we bought ourselves as a wedding gift!
It is so much better than the Subaru Solterra! We drove it to Las Vegas for our honeymoon and it wasn’t that bad because we made it a two day trip each way. We made it to Green River in Utah as the halfway point both ways. I think we stopped four times each day which is no big deal because we timed it with food and bathroom stops. I wish it would actually make 300 miles especially on road trips. That would be ideal. It was fine and to be safe we stopped every two hours to top off.
You were right about it being great for highway comfort. My wife has MS and is very sensitive on road trips. She had no problem in the Honda and loved driving it too. The entertainment is cool too! Yes we both are very happy with the Prologue and if the battery is still good by 2027 when my lease is up I might buy it outright.
My question for you is about the new Zero concept from Honda. You told me that Honda is done working with GM and that their replacement for the Prologue would probably be made in-house. Do you think the Zero is the replacement? I am very happy with Honda and made a mistake when I got that Solterra which I used to trade in for my Prologue. Boy I hope that Zero drives as good as it looks.
I hope you and your family had a good Christmas season!
– Vin T
A: Thanks for the great message!
Wow, it’s beginning to look like 2025 will be a huge year for Honda. Not only are they merging with Nissan (I think it’s a good thing), but they have a ton of new products that’s about to hit the market. That Honda 0 SUV you mentioned; a vehicle similar to that concept/prototype is slated to hit the market in 2026.
Details regarding the Honda 0 SUV are thin at best. We know that it will be a completely digital experience, meaning that it will be a total drive-by-wire experience. This covers everting from the steering to the suspension system. In addition, it will be built at the $700-million Honda EV Hub in Ohio, which should be up and running before the end of 2025.
Finally, there’s the ASIMO Operating System (OS). Simply put, Honda will introduce their level-3 autonomous driving system, named after their little robot prototype ASIMO.
Replacing the Prologue?
Right now, the Honda Prologue is enjoying sales and leasing success. That’s thanks to consumers like you, and I am delighted to see it. Not only because you’re happy about the purchase, but because some critics panned the Prologue before it even went into production. Funny enough, of all the GM-based electric platform vehicles out there, the Honda Prologue is one of the strongest sellers.
If the Prologue continues to hold its own in the market, I suspect they may continue production as the Honda 0 SUV (we don’t know if that’s its official name) gets up and running. Thus, 2026 may be the last year for the Prologue. It wouldn’t make sense to build two SUVs that are fighting for the same buyer.
Then again, with Nissan now in the picture, things could change direction!
Congrats on your marriage!
– N
p.s. You will be hearing a lot more about Honda 0 in the very near future from us – soon!
The last comment comes from a neighbor who recently had to evacuate his family from the Southern California fires.
Q: (Paraphrased) If I bought a vehicle with bi-directional charging, would it help my aunt?
My aunt lives near an area that had voluntary evacuations. Not because of the fire danger, but because of the lack of power, and the possibility of respiratory issues. Her house has been without power for a few days.
If I owned a vehicle with bidirectional charging, could I power her house and put power in her EV?
— My neighbor
A: For the most part, the answer is yes…but it comes with a caveat.
Bidirectional charging should be able to power EVs, devices, batteries and even a home – IF- you have the correct setup. Right now, it’s not as easy as plug-and-play. If you want to power certain things, you may need a special setup. As an example, check out the above video regarding what may be needed to power a home. In addition, there are other types of energy that can be used by various vehicles.
Bidirectional power simply means the ability of a power supply to flow power in both directions. That is how some electric vehicles can share their juice – under the right circumstances. If you want to power some items, like computers, phones and small appliances, many EVs are capable of providing quite a bit of power. Obviously, you will have to make sure the vehicle has plenty of power, and consult your owner’s manual, as power requirements are different for different vehicles.
If you want to use bidirectional power to juice up one EV by using another EV, you will need a special adapter/converter. Additionally, you may need to consult the automaker to verify that the one you’re using will work. There have been many cases where the converter doesn’t register the internal ground, or gets overloaded. The wrong converter could be bad for your vehicle, so be cautious.
Transferring power is inefficient…
If you have the right unit, you should be able to put power into that EV; however, the power transfer is fairly inefficient. It’s not like spilling water from one bucket to another, with no loss. You have to convert from DC to AC and back again to make the power move the right way, thus a lot of that power turns into heat. Once you generate heat, that is an indication of energy being wasted. My point is: don’t assume that when using a battery with 100-percent power, you can fill the empty vehicle with 50-percent of your power and keep 50-percent for yourself. It will be far less than that.
A safe bet is using your vehicle’s AC outlets. Depending on their output, you can power quite a few things during an emergency. Even older cars, with a DC inverter, can power many home appliances. My old 2,000-watt converter can easily power coffee makers, small refrigerators, hot pates or toasters. It’s a pain to use (has to be connected directly to my battery), but it works. I mention that because the Ford F150 ProPower has a 2,000 watt inverter. Both Highlander and Sienna hybrid have a 1,500 watt inverter available, very useful in a crisis.
The F150 ProPower works like a generator, and it’s one of the few vehicles that can recharge an EV. Granted, it is not the best way to do so, but it can help in an emergency. Ford’s ProPower has be lauded as a gamechanger for many who needed to power homes, worksites or campsites. It truly works.
Be safe out there!
— N
