LOS ANGELES — Honda is late to the EV push, with out an electrical car on sale now within the U.S. and never a lot success with its cute-but-pricey “e” mannequin in Europe. However that is not stopping the model from predicting bold gross sales of future EV merchandise.

Honda mentioned final week that its preliminary goal is 70,000 annual gross sales from its first quantity EV, the Prologue crossover, when it reaches the North American market in early 2024. The Prologue is being collectively developed with Normal Motors on GM’s Ultium platform.

As Honda develops its personal e:Structure platform for future fashions, it has set a aim of 500,000 battery-electric and gasoline cell autos by 2030 in North America. The automaker mentioned that will signify 40 % of gross sales, but additionally clarified that is a tough estimate contingent on EV incentives and different elements.

Individually, premium model Acura is growing a crossover with GM, however Honda mentioned the gross sales targets from final week have been just for the Honda model. Neither model has provided any particulars on their GM-based EVs or future ones on the e:Structure platform.

“Launching our first quantity BEV in 2024 is the beginning of an thrilling new course for Honda,” mentioned Dave Gardner, govt vp of nationwide operations at American Honda. “We’re working with our sellers to plan the transition from gross sales of primarily gasoline-powered autos to promoting 100% electrical autos by 2040.”

Till just lately, American Honda executives had been primarily centered on hybrids. However guardian firm Honda Motor Co. named a brand new CEO in April, Toshihiro Mibe, who issued new marching orders.

Honda is prone to face a heavy elevate within the EV house, at the least within the early days, analysts mentioned.

Opponents resembling Hyundai Motor Group are far out entrance, with a number of second-generation EVs occurring sale this yr and subsequent yr.

Furthermore, it is tough to foretell client habits with dozens of latest electrical autos deliberate for North America in simply the subsequent few years.

“Whereas EVs are coming, these grand concepts with tens of millions of drivers eagerly awaiting the possibility to show of their conventional car for the newest EV are fairly overblown,” mentioned Sam Fiorani, vp of world car forecasting at AutoForecast Options. “For Honda to succeed in half 1,000,000 EVs by 2030, it is going to take a mixture of incentives, infrastructure enhancements, enormously improved battery applied sciences and, above all, a dramatic change in the way in which patrons take into consideration EVs,” he mentioned.

Gardner instructed Automotive Information in June that Honda Motor Co. is the world’s largest producer of inside combustion engines with the inclusion of its motorbike, energy merchandise and HondaJet choices.

“It is a honest remark to make about Honda that we weren’t the leaders within the race to battery-electric autos,” Gardner mentioned. “We now have our course. …We now want to maneuver rapidly and decisively to get going the place we’re going.”