Last year, Honda announced it was moving toward a goal of getting rid of diesel and gas-powered vehicles in the next couple of decades while experimenting with alternative fuel options. However, the automaker already has the Honda Clarity, which comes in battery-electric, fuel-cell, and plug-in hybrid forms. Is the Clarity line still around today, or did the company cancel it altogether?
What’s the status of the Honda Clarity Electric model?
2019 Honda Clarity Electric | American Honda Motor Co., Inc
The all-electric version was promising, but the Honda Clarity Electric was discontinued in 2020. It could be because it was only available in California and Oregon as a lease option. Another reason could possibly be due to its relatively small range of distance on the battery. Honda produced the Clarity Electric to offer only 89 miles of driving range.
According to Car and Driver, when you compare it to some of its rivals, like the Chevy Bolt, or the Tesla Model 3, the Clarity Electric doesn’t even hold a candle when you can get 238 to 240 miles of driving range. The automotive market has plenty more of these EVs offering a decent amount of miles on a single charge. If the Clarity Electric was still around, it would have to have improved quite far to keep up with its competition.
Honda chose to end the production of the Clarity’s electric version because the automaker wants to focus more on the proposed electric vehicles it has in the planning stage. Its goal is to release more EV models in the next few years.
Is the Honda Clarity Fuel-Cell still around?
2020 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell gets better cold weather performance: https://t.co/upOhFsLDWW pic.twitter.com/RXS9l61Ibz
— Autoblog (@therealautoblog) December 18, 2019
The Honda Clarity Fuel Cell is one of the most advanced vehicles in the Honda catalog. Sadly, the automaker discontinued the model in August 2021. However, it’s still available as a lease option through the 2022 model year. According to Honda‘s website, it offers up to $15,000 of hydrogen fuel with a lease contract, which is helpful.
This Clarity Fuel Cell was tough to sell because it had to be limited to the California area, which is the only state with enough infrastructure to fuel the car up. Its rival, the Toyota Mirai, sells approximately 1,500 units a year, whereas the Honda sells about 1,000.
Honda chose to drop its fuel cell car to make way for upcoming battery-electric models the company wants to produce and move into the marketplace by 2024. In fact, the brand plans to only sell battery-electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2040, according to Car and Driver.
Has the Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid model been discontinued?
The 2020 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid is now available. Its surprising maneuverability will make you say, “This car has the range!” pic.twitter.com/Z0BsxXbP8a
— Honda (@Honda) January 26, 2020
The Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid has also been discontinued as of August 2021. You can still purchase last year’s version through the end of this year if you still want one. After that, it goes to the used vehicle market. What made Honda end production with the remaining alternative fuel vehicle?
While there’s no definitive information about why, outside of the decreasing sales, a few speculations could explain the decision. While the plug-in hybrid model gets 48 miles of range on the electric powertrain alone, when it switches over to gasoline, you can go about 300 miles on one full tank of gas, which is not all that great compared to some of its rivals.
Its critics weren’t all that impressed with it. The steering was sluggish, they felt it had a very pronounced body lean in corners, and its infotainment system was out of date when you compare it to what its rivals offer. Also, the 40-foot turning cycles of the vehicle made parking a bit harder than usual, and its braking performance left a lot to be desired.
The current Honda Clarity line was introduced in 2017 and slowly began leaving the market in 2020. With the last remaining two models discontinued, we’ll still see them briefly until the end of this year.
Keyword: Is the Honda Clarity Line Officially Canceled?