Featured Honda Clarity Plug-in

Can someone that has the Clarity PHEV base model comment on whether the Honda Link app (the app that allows you to remotely lock/unlock or pre-heat your car) works especially if you are in Canada (these things sometime work differently in US and Canada)? My dealer insist the app only work for the Touring trim, thanks

 

I'm pretty sure both models have HondaLink.

 

So why does Honda need to know the vehicles location? I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with my own vehicle transmitting my location to it's creator at it's discretion. Does Toyota do this?

http://ev.owners.honda.com/Content/PDFs/Clarity%20Plug-in%20Owners%20Manual%20ATRW1818OM.pdf

(Page #4)

 

I suspect all cars that have the roadside assistance feature do this, Some claim the vehicle does this even if it is equipped with the feature but does not have a valid subscription.

 

I understand that, but it's the "At Honda's discretion" that raised my eyebrow.

 

Toyota gm Ford - you name it. I just finished some early morning gardening & I am sitting on the boat watching the sun come up. Nice 68° morning.


The app for our car shows my location as well as the car in the garage. In fact, there have been cars stolen & the GPS is able to track where it's going. So obviously the good outweighs the bad. If some don't like it - they're gona have to buy a junkier car with no GPS so their partner won't know that they are out cheating on them.
Kidding aside, who hasn't had a hard time finding their car in a 200 acre football/baseball parking lot. Again, there are lots of better reasons outweighing the bad.
George Orwell's "1984" had nothing on reality.

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darn you and your sunny and 68 hill!

 

There was a thread at a Sonic forum on how to unplug GPS antennae for the OnStar equipment.

 

I was lucky enough to take a few sits in a Clarity PHEV touring on side lot at Fremont Honda (no sales to bother me). It's very nice and comfortable, BUT, since there is obviously a lot of battery underfloor, the driver seat is set high. I have enough headroom, but not cool with the reduced upward visibiliity out the side windows and windshield. That plus the fact it's such a transitionary car where plugin batteries should shrink a lot well within 10 years, I think I'd have to pass on it.

I've been waiting a long time just to see a 2018 Accord hybrid and Honda is really taking its time to get it out. Supposed to go on sale in 1st quarter this year. I think that's the one I will like best. The non hybrid Accords are really nice but knowing it just has a dumbo engine and CVT and 33 mpg combined is like ahh, I want something more than that.
Hopefully the hybrid equivalents aren't $4k more than the non's cause that's a bit steep.

 

AFAIK, Toyota uses the CDMA carrier Verizon in the US for Safety Connect. Verizon may require SIM cards to access mobile data (Sprint and their MVNOs do).

They may also have roaming agreements with a GSM carrier for areas where their network is weak, which would also require a SIM card.

I suspect, if SIM cards are required, eSIMs would be used to prevent loss or damage.

The car would need the appropriate radios with Verizon's frequencies (CDMA, LTE, and whatever they use for telematics, my guess for that is narrowband IoT spectrum).

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I like the Find-My-Car feature of our Clarity. I can tell where my wife is parked for one thing. Not spying, just helps to know when she will be home. If the car is stolen that will also help locate it (besides the LoJack we had installed).

The app can tell me how much EV power is remaining, help us find our parked car, and start the heater or air conditioner before we are going to use the car.

All of this requires the telematics which is built into the car.

 

There was a commercial for the car on the TV tonight.

 

Question for fellow Clarity owners - I am getting a constant wind noise coming from the area of the drivers side
mirror at speeds above 40mph. Nothing from the passenger side though. Is anyone else having this issue?

 

No. Our car is amazingly quiet. About all I hear is road noise and even that is much lower than our Prius.

 

Funny, I just traded in my Prius V for a Clarity and I also noticed the constant wind noise from driver's side. I inspected the area and can't see any obvious cause.

 

Has anyone gotten a check engine light after using a public charger? I've got cruise control error, emissions control error...

 

@animatorelt - Whether or not a plug-in Prius has a trouble light would not be relevant as to whether the Honda has some issue. Most likely that would be a matter best inquired from the Honda blogging site folks - for a larger basis of possible Honda owner problems. Here, you would probably only be addressing a handful of Honda owners.
.

 

Thanks for the tip. I totally understand, as this is a Prius forum. I was directing my question to any Clarity owners (however few) about any check engine light experience. Just as Robby100 asked his question earlier (and got 2 replies), I thought maybe I could get lucky and get some feedback as well - in this particular Clarity thread.

 

Some of us new Clarity owners are also long-time Prius Chat members, too. Surprised to see this thread is still going strong. There's also a bunch of threads at Clarity | Inside EVS Forum I'm hopeful Danny won't mind the shameless plug(in). LOL