HONDA EV's GET A PRICING ADVANTAGE, THANKS TO GM: The Homework Guy, Kevin Hunter, with Elizabeth

Honda's EVs will get a leg up on pricing thanks to GM. Hi, I'm Kevin Hunter, the Homework Guy, here today with the amazing Elizabeth, the Homework Gal. American Honda's two upcoming EVs will rely on GM's North American factories and its EV architecture and Ultium batteries. For the record, Honda Motor Company has two electric vehicles on the horizon, the Honda Prologue and the Acura ZDX. Both are co-developed with General Motors and will use the Detroit Automaker's new flexible and scalable electric architecture powered by the Ultium battery pack. The partnership allows Honda to leverage the investments GM has been making in its Ultium drive system and its upcoming wave of EVs while it readies itself for its own zero emission future. But one surprise benefit Honda will get from the collaboration could not have been foreseen by anyone unless they had a crystal ball, a $7,500 pricing advantage. When the Prologue and the ZDX come to market in 2024, both are likely to land a spot in the coveted list of vehicles approved for the new federal tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act thanks to GM's electrification playbook. This will give the Honda and Acura brands a competitive edge against automakers importing their EVs, especially Hyundai and Kia, which have up until now been gaining market share and momentum with their early to market electric entries. Under the Inflation Reduction Act, Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and Kia's EV6 and Nairo EV will not be eligible for the credit because of the new rule which requires final assembly of the vehicle and battery pack as well as material sourcing to be confined to North America. Fortunately for Honda, GM builds homegrown EVs. GM has been investing heavily in joint venture battery plants with its supplier LG Energy Solution as well as pouring money into existing plants so it can build EVs and EV components for its Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac and Buick brands. GM has three battery plants operating or in the works and is surveying locations for a fourth. It also has three auto plants designated for EV production in the U.S., Spring Hill Manufacturing in Tennessee, Factory Zero in Detroit and Orion Assembly in Michigan and another in Mexico. All those plants qualify for North American assembly credit and that begs the question, at which GM plants will the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX be assembled? Honda has not revealed its production plans for the vehicles but it's a fair bet that the Prologue will be built in the Ramos Arizpe and ZDX in Spring Hill. Spring Hill assembles the Cadillac Lyric electric midsize crossover, the Cadillac XT5 and XT6 in the GMC Acadia. GM has said it will move production of the Acadia to Lansing, Michigan and that the Spring Hill factory will be used to build future EVs. One of GM and LG Energy Solutions' joint venture battery cell plants is also adjacent to the Spring Hill auto plant and will begin production in late 2023. Spy Shots captured a ZDX prototype near GM's Proving Grounds in Milford, Michigan and though its styling is distinctly Acura with several elements that carry over from that concept, it appears to have the same A, B and C pillar arrangements as the Lyric. Acura has not released any dimensions but the precision EV concept teased a midsize crossover like the Lyric. That GM Proving Grounds near Milford, Michigan, I've actually been there. No specs have been released for the ZDX but the Lyric offers a 340 horsepower single motor rear wheel setup powered by a 100 kilowatt hour battery with 312 miles of range. A dual motor all-wheel Lyric will come out in early 2024. Meanwhile GM assembles its gasoline-powered Chevy Blazer in Ramos Arispe, Mexico. The automaker plans a battery-powered version of the sporty midsize crossover in the late 2023 designated for 2024 model year. Word on the street is that Honda's Prologue will be based on the Blazer EV and built alongside it in the same fashion as the ZDX and the Lyric. The styling of the Prologue which Honda showcased this month has an identical A, B and C pillar arrangement to the Blazer as well. Honda confirmed that the Prologue will be a midsize crossover in the same segment as the gas and electric Blazers. The Prologue's Honda crafted design will fit atop the Blazer platform. The Blazer will offer different battery sizes and three drive systems front, rear and all-wheel drive. The links between Cadillac and Acura as well as between Honda and Chevrolet also make sense from a market positioning standpoint. Honda's tardiness to the EV party in recent years and its need to rely on GM for its first two volume all-electric entries appeared unflattering as Honda's world competitors moved aggressively to electrification. But as it turns out those decisions will serve the Japanese automaker well. Speaking of decisions that serve well, we now have hundreds of satisfied MPG XCAP customers all of which are saving a lot of cash on their fuel costs despite the best attempts of naysayers who have yet to figure out that this channel would never promote a product that didn't work. We now have success stories in all 50 states. Results are consistently ranging from 20 to as high as 30 MPG improvements. Some car owners show positive results immediately like I did while others have vehicles whose ECUs take a few tanks of treated fuel to adjust and use the XCAP catalyst fully. How about you? Are you ready to get off the sidelines and join us in saving on fuel costs? The only thing fuel costs are doing right now is going up. There's three ways that you can get in the game and buy XCAPs for yourself. Preferred customer option number one, XCAPs for $29.95 plus shipping. Option two, 30 XCAPs for $59.95 plus shipping or wholesale pricing, the cheapest way to buy them, 100 XCAPs for $199 plus shipping. And if you buy the larger pack and aren't 100% satisfied, I'll buy them back from you. I give you my personal guarantee. If you have questions about the XCAP and how it can boost your fuel economy in your vehicle or maybe you're wondering if your vehicle is a good candidate for the XCAP, email us at kevinthehomeworkguy at gmail.com or call text to 701-441-3399. We have a big customer database so we know which vehicles work best and we promise to you a straight up honest answer. Helping the average vehicle owner like you is what we've been doing for 13 straight years. All right, if you're new here at the Homework Guy channel, don't forget to subscribe and ring that bell. We welcome you to our family. And of course, please share our videos on social media. Thanks everyone for coming back and to all of our faithful followers, you guys rock! I'm Kevin Hunter, the Homework Guy, signing off with Amazing Elizabeth, the Homework Gal. We gotta go!