Acura is yet to unveil its first production all-electric vehicle but even so, the American subsidiary of Honda announced that all the sales of its upcoming zero-emissions cars will be carried out online, a departure from the current dealer-based system.
Acura’s first EVs, the midsize 2024 ZDX and ZDX Type S, will go on sale in early 2024, with pre-sales beginning in 2023 on a dedicated, 100 percent online platform. The American carmaker said that it “will serve as the tip of the spear for digitalization at American Honda,” adding that by 2040, it will only sell electrified vehicles.
"In 2023, we will see the strategies we've been talking about, including growing sales of light truck models, increasing volume of hybrid-electric models, and the start of digital sales at Acura," said Mamadou Diallo, Vice President of Sales at American Honda. "All this leads toward our vision of 100-percent electrified sales by 2040 to fulfill our ultimate goal of zero emissions by 2050."
The upcoming Acura ZDX and ZDX Type S are based on the Ultium electric platform made by General Motors, the same that’s used for the Honda Prologue, Cadillac Lyriq, and Chevrolet Blazer EV.
Gallery: 2024 Acura ZDX Prototype
The design of the ZDX, which is yet to be finalized, was handled by Acura’s Design Studio which opened in Los Angeles in 2007 and worked on the 2022 Precision EV Concept.
Late last year, Acura released a set of images of a camouflaged ZDX Type S, saying that the “prototype is being rigorously tested and tuned to optimize the SUV's dynamics and overall driving experience," adding that the American manufacturer “will remain focused on performance in the electrified era and Type S will continue to represent the pinnacle of this direction.”
Acura stopped short of offering details such as power output, range, charging capabilities, and delivery options for the online sales service. However, based on the knowledge that the ZDX will be related to the electric Chevrolet Blazer, we can make some educated guesses and say that it will probably be available with either a front-mounted electric motor or a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup, with a maximum driving range between 247-320 miles (397-515 kilometers).
