The Acura ZDX had a particularly short run: Honda’s premium brand only unveiled the model in August 2023 and started deliveries in early 2024. The electric SUV was not an in-house development but the result of a collaboration with General Motors. Both the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX are based on GM’s Ultium EV platform and were manufactured by the US carmaker.
Production of the 2026 ZDX had been scheduled to start this month at GM’s Spring Hill Assembly plant in Tennessee but was halted, with Honda citing “market conditions.” The Honda Prologue will continue to be built, though not in Spring Hill but in Mexico. The Tennessee plant will remain focused on other Ultium-based models, including the Cadillac Lyriq.
According to CNBC, Honda has sold around 19,000 units of the ZDX since its market launch in 2024, including 11,000 so far this year.
A spokesperson said: “ZDX has played a valuable role for the Acura brand, and will provide a foundation we will build on next year with the arrival of the all-electric Acura RSX, which will be produced at the EV Hub in Ohio in the second half of 2026, as well as with hybrid-electric Acura models now in development.”
GM declined to comment directly but CNBC cites an internal note to staff, which said the decision was based on demand, not on the relationship with Honda or product quality. The statement added that the end of ZDX production would not affect jobs at the Spring Hill site.
The second EV not to receive a 2026 model year in the US is the Nissan Ariya. “Nissan is pausing production of the MY26 ARIYA for the U.S. market and reallocating resources to support the launch of the all-new 2026 LEAF, which will have the lowest starting MSRP out of all new EVs currently on sale in the US,” a spokesperson explained.
US portal InsideEVs noted that the Japan-built Ariya “was already too expensive, and now with tariffs in place and a federal emissions rollback, there’s no reason to keep it around.” The coupe-SUV will remain on sale through existing 2025 stock, and only the US is affected by the decision. Globally, the Ariya will continue, and Nissan has not ruled out returning with a 2027 model year if conditions improve.
The moves from Acura and Nissan come as the US market faces a turning point: the federal EV tax credit ends early at the end of September, following pressure from Republicans. Analysts expect demand to rise briefly this month as customers rush to benefit, followed by a decline in Q4. How demand develops in 2026 remains uncertain, but further niche models could be withdrawn.
cnbc.com, insideevs.com (both Acura ZDX), insideevs.com, electrek.co (both Nissan Ariya)
This article was first published by Sebastian Schaal for Ev Authority’s German edition.
