Honda Clarity plugin hybrid

i have no opinion of vaporware. when is it due out?

 

Honda's site just says 2017. It is going to be a 2018 model, so don't expect it anytime soon. The electric is listed as a 2017MY, but still only on the future vehicles page.
The PHEV is the only one of the three that will be available nationwide at this time.

 

Clarity PHEV all electric range estimated at 47 miles now. Supposed to arrive 2017. Consumer Reports said PHEV to be available in 50 states and be the 'volume seller' for Clarity family, go up against Volt and Prius Prime.

 

i won't hold my breath.

 

I expect the PHEV to become widely available. That would reduce the amount Honda loses on each FCEV they lease.
But until we know the price, we won't know if Honda truly wants to sell them.

 

You can breathe now!

"Just in time for the holidays, the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid will go on sale December 1, 2017 at dealerships nationwide. The midsize plug-in hybrid starts at a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $33,400 with highly equipped standard equipment and is offered with a Touring trim for $36,600."

Qualifies for the full $7500 credit so 47 miles for $25,900; $23,400 in Cali. Impressive. Should affect Volt and Prime sales.

2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid Pricing to Start at $33,400 - Honda News

 

whew, i almost expired.

flying bridge.

anyone find a pic of the hatch/trunk?

 

This is the only one I've seen. http://insightman.com/Clarity/#trunk

 

Hmm I wonder what the battery warranty will be.

 

The price is Prime impressive. I think it's a couple hundred less than the Volt, and it is a bigger car.

Heard it has more trunk space than the FCEV model.

At least the 8yr/100k mile federal one that all hybrids have, and likey the 10yr/150k mile CARB one in order to get HOV stickers in California.

 

trunk looks good, from that one picture at least. $33,400. - $3,000. extra fed credit (if the credits stick around)
puts it at $30k compared to the base prime of 28k, if it includes delivery charge.
but it looks like a totally different car. will it be a similar market?

 

Too bad it's not a hatchback.

 

It gets the full $7500 federal tax credit, taking the Touring model below $30k and the base model under $27k, both including destination. If the credit goes away, there's a good chance I'll pick one up in December. I doubt dealers will discount much (if at all) on a new model - especially when the credit is an asset everyone knows is expiring - but it may be worth paying list to get that combination of economy, space, and post-credit price. I'd rather have a hatch, but I'm a big guy and the Clarity has 59.6 inches of shoulder room; for comparison, a Mercedes S-Class has 59.7, and a Prime has 54.2 - that's a huge difference in cabin size, not surprising as the S-Class is 74.8 inches wide, the Clarity is 73.9, and the Prime is 69.3 inches wide. The Clarity PHEV has 15.4 cubic feet of trunk space, the S-Class is only slightly larger at 16.3.

I was impressed that the presentation slides in the linked article included one detailing all the steps Honda was taking to reduce noise; a quiet cabin is a plus for me (much harder in a hatch). I doubt this will be as fun to drive as a Volt, but it costs less, has similar electric range and has much more interior and storage room; probably quieter as well. We'll see what it looks like in person, but it seems Honda may be offering a discounted Acura experience to get people in the door. I'm not happy about the 7 gallon gas tank, but that seems to be the only major flaw.

 

When you have that much EV range, that small of a gas tank isn't a flaw. It's a purposeful design decision that allows more room for the battery outside the passenger compartment and less intrusion into the trunk space. A near 300 mile hwy range is about 5 hours non-stop driving (60mph avg). I had a volt with a similar 9 gal. tank and it was never a problem even here in the wide open spaces of south Texas.

 

it just goes to show how personal these decisions are compared to gassers. i look at trunk space for traveling, and a 7 gallon tank nixes the deal, even though 45 miles of ev is fabulous locally, it's too much most of the time and i think prime hits the sweet spot for local, but not long distance. (for us)

 

It is Camry sized. Which means the closest PHEV competitor is the Fusion Energi, which has a very compromised trunk. At this point, I think all plug ins are cross shopped with each other.

The small gas tank isn't an issue for me. It just means getting gas on all our potty breaks during a long trip. That does add some time, but our long trips are about once a quarter. The short trip advantages make up for it. For more frequent or farther long trips, I'd start looking at diesels.

 

agreed, that's why it's personal. when shopping for gassers, it's more about looks than anything else.
now it's, how big is the trunk? how big is the battery? how big is the gas tank? how big is the cabin?