This puts the Accord in a “hypercompetitive” position, according to Woelfer, who expects hybrid sales to account for 48 to 52 percent of the new Accord’s monthly sales mix.
Honda has taken the same approach with its new sixth-generation CR-V compact crossover, which went on sale last fall. Two well-appointed hybrid trims also lead that lineup and, in January, the hybrid mix landed at 47.6 percent of the total.
On its road to electrification, where Honda hopes to sell half a million EVs in North America by 2030, the Accord and CR-V are important EV recruitment tools.
“If you’re purchasing an Accord now, whether you’re leasing or owning, that’s still a good three, five years, seven years down the line,” Honda spokeswoman Jessica Fini told Automotive News. “And hopefully, all the barriers that people are feeling right now, like public charging or installing a charger, will seem less because it’s a little bit farther down the road.”
To sweeten the deal, buyers of the CR-V hybrid who live in one of the 16 zero-emission vehicle states, can opt into a short-term, two-year lease that will enable them to easily move into Honda’s first electric entry, the Prologue, when it becomes available.
Woelfer said that no such short-lease plan is in the works for Accord buyers, but Honda does want to find ways to optimize brand loyalty as more EV choices come to market.
“We talk a lot about how we capitalize on the consumer and the opportunity that this creates for us to move towards electrified vehicles in the future,” Woelfer said.
“I will tell you that we do see [Accord] as a bridge toward electrification, so we will focus on finding ways to create an opportunity for the customer to transfer to the new vehicle.”
