- Honda is discontinuing the all-electric Clarity, perhaps because its 89-mile EPA range didn’t resonate with buyers.
- Honda’s Clarity PHEV and fuel-cell vehicles will continue to be available.
- This was Honda’s only EV in the United States.
The battery-electric vehicle (BEV) version of the Honda Clarity has been discontinued for 2020. It was the only EV available from Honda in the United States. Honda offered interior luxury and low lease rates for the car, but they may not have been enough to counter the Clarity Electric’s 89 miles of range.
Why the Honda e Should Come to the U.S.
2013 Honda Fit EV Tested
The Clarity lineup was introduced as a trio of vehicles to highlight alternative powertrains: plug-in hybrid, full electric, and fuel cell. Especially on the inside, the Clarity looks more Acura than Honda as the automaker works to entice potential buyers.
Unfortunately, the relatively low range of 89 miles might have doomed the vehicle while other popularly priced vehicles—the Chevy Bolt EV with 238 miles or the Tesla Model 3 with up to 240 miles—took drivers a lot farther. It was also only available for lease and only in California and Oregon.
Honda told Car and Driver it is “placing more of our focus on the next generation of electrified products that are coming down the pipeline” and said it plans to bring out “new, highly appealing all-electric vehicles” for U.S. buyers in “the years ahead.” So we should see an EV from the automaker in the United States at some point. Sadly, it’s unlikely it’ll be the Honda e.
The other two Clarity vehicles will continue to be available, although the fuel-cell Clarity will still be confined to California since fueling infrastructure is still unavailable in most other markets. The Clarity plug-in hybrid is still the best bet of the lineup with 47 miles of electric-only range, as long as you are OK with the vehicle’s unusual exterior design.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
