Featured Honda Clarity Plug-in

why would mpg be so much lower than accord hybrid?

 

I have not seen one yet, but isn't Clarity "high-end" car than Accord is? Any price info?

 

For the same reasons the Volt's is lower than the Malibu hybrid's. There is the extra weight of the larger battery, and the system is optimized for EV driving, not ICE efficiency. Cost will also play a part.

It likely is a nicer car than the Accord to help sell them, but the new 2018 Accord is now a full size car with more interior space than an Avalon.

No pricing info for the PHEV yet. That and trunk space is a factor in deciding if it is a possible new car for someone. The FCEV and BEV are both lease only, so no gauging price from them. Just saw a local dealer is advertising the FCEV on their site.

 

I'm intrigued by how well the marketers skirted around The Volt's 53 EV mile range with the midsize sedan modifier. I've always been a Honda fan as their cars tend to be sportier in nature while maintaining high quality and reliability as Toyota. So I'm definitely interested in the the Clarity plug in. However, the Clarity BEV is something that still sends me scratching my head with it's "class leading" range of 89 EV miles for vehicles that cannot be purchased. Honda Clarity EV Has Two-Digits Maximum Range, Will Only Be Leased - autoevolution

The Clarity's weak point will be its 6.6 gallon fuel tank capacity, assumed by it's atrocious 340 mile total range. And here I thought the 400 mile real world range in my PiP was bad. The Clarity will have its fuel light come on at well under 300 miles. Still, on paper I'd take the Clarity Plug in over a Volt dependent on price.

 

47 miles EV range is attractive, but 42mpg HV is a deal breaker for me. I get that mileage from our 10 years old Civic Hybrid. Besides, I can’t imagine it will be priced less than Prius Prime, or Honda giving as much incentive as Toyota does. However, having 17kWh battery on it means it will qualify for full $7500 tax credit so the final price may become quite attractive to some people.

 

Expensive......and built to stay that way.

This is probably just going to be a compliance vehicle for people who like the Honda.
While I'm not one of these.....they do have a dedicated customer base, probably benefiting presently from Toyota's styling department.

Honda has certainly come a looooooooong way.

 

400 miles in your pip? is that at 90 mph?

 

going to be interesting to see how toyota engineered it with the new hycam vs gen 4 prius.

 

8 gallons x 50 mpg + 12 EV miles = ~400 miles. Yes, the tank is bigger than that but the blinking pip comes on at around 8 gallons.

 

The Clarity's gas only range doesn't bother me. One or two more stops on our trips might do us good for stretching out.

 

but that means the clarity only goes 260 miles if you're gonna leave two perfectly good gallons of gas in the tank.
i have never gotten less than 60 mpg in the pip, obeying the speed limits.

 

That's what I am saying, it's going to be well under 300 miles real world range. My old Acura Integra was like that with a 250 mile range. It's not a big deal to me considering my bladder doesn't last 2 hours. But it is quite a difference from the 400-500 miles in today's cars.

 

On our regular 600 mile trip to NC, we currently need to get fuel at least once. Then we stop a couple more times for bathroom breaks, and maybe to eat. Getting gas during those stops in which we normally don't isn't a big deal.

These are trips we do about 4 times a year. Day to day, it is going to be weeks to moths between fill ups.

Consider this, would you rather have to get fuel with a piss break more often on a long trip, or lose trunk space?

 

on our trips to florida in my wife's hycam, we stop twice for gas in 1,350 miles. we stop more often for other breaks, but i would prefer not to have to keep filling up. sometimes there are lines, other times, finding a station isn't that easy.
let's put it this way, the car would really have to thrill me to put up with less range. heck, you're closing in on bev territory there.

 

The clarity is a very ugly car. Far uglier than anything in the Toyota lineup save the Yaris and Mirai.

 

ouch, that's saying something.

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and is only skin deep.....

....BUT ugly goes all the way to the BONE.

That's all I'm going to say on the subject.....

 

But you have already adapted to the smaller trunk. The majority refuse to, or Toyota wouldn't have needed to fix the trunk space on the new Camryh.

The Clarity PHEV has a large battery, over twice the capacity of the Prime's. It has to go somewhere. Honda chose to seat 5, so that leaves the trunk or fuel tank. Unlike their BEV decision, I think sparing trunk space is the right one for PHEV sales.