Acura ZDX, future EVs are only available online.
Future Acura electric vehicles will be sold exclusively online, parent company Honda announced in a press release Wednesday.
"Acura will serve as the tip of the digitalization specification at American Honda," the release said." 100% of Acura EV sales will be online, beginning in 2024 with the ZDX and ZDX Type S."
The ZDX, which last appeared as a coupe-like version of the MDX midsize crossover that ended production in 2013, will be Acura's first EV, with a performance version, the Type S, also planned. According to Acura, pre-sales will begin in 2023, prior to the planned start of deliveries in 2024.
Acura has stated that the ZDX will feature styling previewed by the Precision EV concept unveiled at Monterey Car Week in August 2022; engineering for the ZDX will be done in partnership with General Motors. Acura will likely use GM's Ultium component set and ride on the BEV3 architecture used in the Cadillac Lyric and Chevrolet Blazer EVs.
Through the same partnership, GM will also supply engineering for Honda's Prologue electric SUV, which is expected to arrive in 2024 at the same time as the ZDX. However, Honda is likely to stick with traditional dealers for this model.
Honda plans to introduce EVs based on its own architecture in 2026 for both its main brand and Acura. Honda is developing an "EV hub" in Ohio and plans to build a $3.5 billion joint venture battery plant to support EV production in North America, including a new EV brand, Afeela, to be launched in partnership with Sony.
The shift to EVs has also led other automakers to rethink how they sell cars, most of which plan to restructure existing franchised dealerships rather than move to online sales.
Ford and General Motors are asking dealers to invest heavily in selling EVs, and Ford is also asking dealers to agree to pricing without haggling. Two-thirds of Ford dealers have opted to sell EVs, and the number of dealers for Lincoln, the Blue Oval's luxury brand, is reportedly declining; GM is offering to buy out Cadillac and Buick dealers who want to exit EV sales.
