In recent times we were introduced to this trend in the green car world where one model can be picked with multiple eco-friendly powertrains. For example, we have the Hyundai Ioniq trio which comes in full electric, gas-electric, plug-in hybrid versions. Even with the good old Toyota Prius, you can choose to have or choose not to have a plug. Following this trend, we have acquired info about the latest addition from Honda to the green market. The model in question is the Honda Clarity. Actually, this is a line-up of three cars but can they satisfy everyone’s preferences? Let’s see.
Clarity Fuel Cell has been tested earlier (became available in December 2016) and only after 4 to 6 months Honda decided to break the silence with Clarity Fuel Cell cousins which are the Clarity Plug-in Hybrid and the battery powered Clarity Electric. Are we in for a treat? Have they prepared something good for us? It all depends on your opinion about a PHEV which has 42 miles of all-electric range and on the fact that Honda intends to sell 75,000 Clarity models in the US in the first four years after the official introduction.
We strongly believe that these vehicles from Clarity lineup will be a good option in the plug-in world and especially in the PHEV. It is now only behind the Chevy Volt when it comes to EV miles however it is a bigger car which has plenty of room for four and five (surely five people can get in without too much trouble).
We have acquired some photos of the new model, and there you can see that each differs from one another when it comes to the front end of the car, tail lights and head lights and 18-inch alloy wheels. These three cars have their unique ‘halo’ colors, and we won’t even try to find out the names of these colors since red, green and blue are surely not the official names. Now we’ll share the official details from Honda on all versions of Clarity.
2017 Honda Clarity Electric
– No official range yet, but the 25.5-kWH battery pack makes the stories predicting a low, 80-mile range more plausible. SAE Combo DC Fast Charging available.
– 161 hp electric motor also puts out 221 lb.-ft. of torque
– Expected 120/102/111 MPGe (city/highway/combined) on the EPA scale.
– Will hit the market with lease-only programs in California and Oregon later in 2017.
2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid
– The all-electric range of 42 miles thanks to a 17-kWh battery pack, “based on Honda internal testing.” Total range is 330 miles.
– Expected 105 MPGe on the EPA scale.
– 1.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine charges the pack and can drive the wheels.
– Electric motor offers 181 horsepower and 232 foot-pounds of torque.
– Arrives nationwide later in 2017.
– Two trim levels (Standard and Touring).
– Will be the top seller in the Clarity family.
These Clarities are not the best that Honda has to offer green car-wise, but they are surely a great addition and improvement to the popularity of this market. Honda plans on to introduce a new hybrid vehicle to the US in 2018, and the Clarity line-up is expected to have a contribution there. This is no surprise since the company is making a good buck in the US on this kind of vehicles. The original plan of Honda is to make 66% of its global automobile sales ‘electrified’ in some manner by the year 2030 and by the looks of it, they are likely to achieve that goal.
