First Impressions from a Honda Clarity Owner

C

CharlesBranch

Member
When I bought my last car three years ago I had too much range anxiety for a Tesla and settled on a Honda Clarity, which had the greatest battery range of any PHEV I could find. It was a great car, but this year I decided that there are enough rapid chargers that I could live with all-electric. I considered the Ford Lightning and Mustang Mach 4 but finally settled on an Ioniq 5 RWD. So far, I'm really impressed. It has plenty of pep, and the charging is free for at least two years at Electrify America. I went to the one near me yesterday, and it went from about 20% to 90% in only 21 minutes (45 kWh). I had been wondering what type of level 2 charger to get, but I'm thinking now that I really don't need one at all.

In comparison to my Clarity, I have noticed only two issues. First, the Lane Keeping assist is a little jerky compared to the Clarity, but not a real problem. Second, I'm having a little difficulty getting used to the smart cruise control. I wish I could dumb it down a tad to quit flashing whenever I get a little above or below the set range. Maybe there is a setting for that somewhere, but that too is a pretty minor annoyance.

Right now I'm glad that I couldn't even reserve either the Ford Lightning or the Mach 4, because I think I will like this better. I'll be showing it at a DriveElectricEarthDay event in Birmingham April 16, and so far, it's the only Ioniq 5 registered.

One question: Is it really better for the battery not to charge it all the way to 100% unless you really need the extra miles?
 
CharlesBranch said:
One question: Is it really better for the battery not to charge it all the way to 100% unless you really need the extra miles?
Click to expand...
Clarity owners ask that in Inside EVs' Clarity forum and MINI Cooper SE owners ask that in Inside EVs' MINI Cooper SE forum, too. I have a Clarity PHEV and a MINI Cooper SE, but I don't have an Ioniq 5. Does the Ioniq 5 include an option to stop charging at less than 100%? If it does, then Hyundai is more worried about their battery management system not automatically protecting battery longevity than Honda or MINI.

Tesla recommends not charging to 100% unless you need maximum range that day. The company's battery management philosophy is to saddle the car's owner with the task of protecting the battery. The advantage is that owners can charge to a greater "100%" than other EVs to achieve the maximum range with the understanding they're taking a slight hit on the battery's longevity. Other companies adhere to the less complicated "just get in and drive" philosophy that limits the maximum available range but doesn't require owners to think.
 
As far as I understand it, charging to 100% has a small impact on long term battery range but not a significant one. Rapid charging is much worse for the battery longevity than 100% charging. I got this info from an EV technician at my Kia dealership so I'd say it's probably accurate.

Still, if you can charge the car at home and don't need the full battery each day, I'd say, no reason to charge to 100% daily.
 
ITown said:
Still, if you can charge the car at home and don't need the full battery each day, I'd say, no reason to charge to 100% daily.
Click to expand...
Will the I5 let you limit the charge to a set sub-max percentage or do you have to tell Alexa to remind you to go out and unplug after a length of time you know through experimentation will achieve less than a full charge?
 
insightman said:
Will the I5 let you limit the charge to a set sub-max percentage or do you have to tell Alexa to remind you to go out and unplug after a length of time you know through experimentation will achieve less than a full charge?
Click to expand...
I don't own an Ioniq 5, but my Kia Niro allows me to set a charging limit to X%, so I would be shocked if the I5 doesn't, given that it's a newer generation vehicle made by the same company.
 
insightman said:
Will the I5 let you limit the charge to a set sub-max percentage or do you have to tell Alexa to remind you to go out and unplug after a length of time you know through experimentation will achieve less than a full charge?
Click to expand...
Yes, the owner can easily set a maximum charge level in ten percent increments. Very easy to set to 80 percent if desired. My Kia EV6 is exactly the same as the Ioniq 5 in most regards.
 
CharlesBranch said:
When I bought my last car three years ago I had too much range anxiety for a Tesla and settled on a Honda Clarity, which had the greatest battery range of any PHEV I could find. It was a great car, but this year I decided that there are enough rapid chargers that I could live with all-electric. I considered the Ford Lightning and Mustang Mach 4 but finally settled on an Ioniq 5 RWD. So far, I'm really impressed. It has plenty of pep, and the charging is free for at least two years at Electrify America. I went to the one near me yesterday, and it went from about 20% to 90% in only 21 minutes (45 kWh). I had been wondering what type of level 2 charger to get, but I'm thinking now that I really don't need one at all.

In comparison to my Clarity, I have noticed only two issues. First, the Lane Keeping assist is a little jerky compared to the Clarity, but not a real problem. Second, I'm having a little difficulty getting used to the smart cruise control. I wish I could dumb it down a tad to quit flashing whenever I get a little above or below the set range. Maybe there is a setting for that somewhere, but that too is a pretty minor annoyance.

Right now I'm glad that I couldn't even reserve either the Ford Lightning or the Mach 4, because I think I will like this better. I'll be showing it at a DriveElectricEarthDay event in Birmingham April 16, and so far, it's the only Ioniq 5 registered.

One question: Is it really better for the battery not to charge it all the way to 100% unless you really need the extra miles?
Click to expand...
Charles, I believe all EV manufacturers recommend to never charge the battery over 80% on fast charge (level 3). It can damage the battery. However on level 2 charging, I have never seen a clear statement from Hyundai if the 100% charging cause any damage to the battery.
 
RocketGuy said:
Charles, I believe all EV manufacturers recommend to never charge the battery over 80% on fast charge (level 3). It can damage the battery. However on level 2 charging, I have never seen a clear statement from Hyundai if the 100% charging cause any damage to the battery.
Click to expand...
g trip
I noticed on the Electrify America charger that the kw rate really drops off once I get over 80%. Is that not enough protection? I let it go to 90% yesterday and then stopped. Would a good plan be to stop at 80% and then finish at home if I have a long trip scheduled? I wish Hyundai would come out with some clear recommendations. That would seem to be in their best interest, since the battery is supposedly coveref for 10 years.
 
My gut instinct is only to charge to 100 percent when on a road trip and you will be driving soon after the charge cycle is complete and the extended range is nessacary to avoid range anxiety. From what i have read, it's not a good practice to charge to 100 percent and let the car sit for long periods of time before driving. So my take is to avoid charging to 100 percent on a regular basis. I also think it's important to learn the recommendation from the manufacturer and understand your car's battery management system.
 
CharlesBranch said:
One question: Is it really better for the battery not to charge it all the way to 100% unless you really need the extra miles?
Click to expand...


I, too, was concerned about charging my 2022 Kia Niro EV to 100% after hearing so many conflicting opinions so I wrote to Kia. We use the Niro EV for local trips and my Camry Hybrid for longer trips. All charging is done with a Level 2 charger in our garage.

Kia's suggestion was that we routinely charge it to 80%, but once per month charge it to 100%.
 
insightman said:
Tesla recommends not charging to 100% unless you need maximum range that day. The company's battery management philosophy is to saddle the car's owner with the task of protecting the battery. The advantage is that owners can charge to a greater "100%" than other EVs to achieve the maximum range with the understanding they're taking a slight hit on the battery's longevity. Other companies adhere to the less complicated "just get in and drive" philosophy that limits the maximum available range but doesn't require owners to think.
Click to expand...

no fully true, it depends of battery type inside, new LFP batteries is better be charged to 100%, old one 80-90.

https://www.greencarreports.com/new...ding a recommendation,100% on a regular basis.
 
DST-cycles-web2 Kona charging.webp
This is a chart from Battery University in Canada - yes, there is such a place. From their testing of EV batteries... say you charge daily for 50 weeks a year to commute (And a long commute at that)... that comes to 250 charges a year or 5000 cycles for 20 years of commuting. If you charge to 100% each time, after 4 years your battery's charging capacity will be down to 90%. Likewise, it will be down to 87% after ten years and 80% after twenty. Not bad when you consider most car owners buy a new car every six years. That said, the best range preservation is charging between 75-65%. Most EV chargers slow down once you reach 80% of capacity, so it is not cost effective to charge on a Level three charger above that level. Driving and charging is a compromise. What I do is charge to 100% at home on the first day of a long drive, and to 80% thereafter at public fast chargers. Generally, I keep my vehicle between 80% and the level where I need about 12 hrs of Level 1 charging at night which is closely akin to the orange line on the graph. But I also plan to keep my EV for 20 more years. The car will outlast me.
 
CharlesBranch said:
g trip
I noticed on the Electrify America charger that the kw rate really drops off once I get over 80%. Is that not enough protection? I let it go to 90% yesterday and then stopped. Would a good plan be to stop at 80% and then finish at home if I have a long trip scheduled? I wish Hyundai would come out with some clear recommendations. That would seem to be in their best interest, since the battery is supposedly coveref for 10 years.
Click to expand...
See my reply below.
 
CharlesBranch said:
g trip
I noticed on the Electrify America charger that the kw rate really drops off once I get over 80%. Is that not enough protection? I let it go to 90% yesterday and then stopped. Would a good plan be to stop at 80% and then finish at home if I have a long trip scheduled? I wish Hyundai would come out with some clear recommendations. That would seem to be in their best interest, since the battery is supposedly coveref for 10 years.
Click to expand...
Hi Charles, since the power is free for you, it does not matter if the cost increases above 80% charge. Because on commercial recharge stations, the price usually goes by hour (or minutes) instead of by kwh. The time between 80% and 90% is a lot longer because the power supply by the station goes down drastically in order to prevent damage to the battery.
 
Rick Cormier said:
I, too, was concerned about charging my 2022 Kia Niro EV to 100% after hearing so many conflicting opinions so I wrote to Kia. We use the Niro EV for local trips and my Camry Hybrid for longer trips. All charging is done with a Level 2 charger in our garage.

Kia's suggestion was that we routinely charge it to 80%, but once per month charge it to 100%.
Click to expand...

i can’t tell you where I read it but I’m sure that I read the same recommendation somewhere in the Ioniq 5 manual. I just went looking for it and couldn’t find it but I know I’ve read it recently.
 
CharlesBranch said:
In comparison to my Clarity, I have noticed only two issues. First, the Lane Keeping assist is a little jerky compared to the Clarity, but not a real problem. Second, I'm having a little difficulty getting used to the smart cruise control. I wish I could dumb it down a tad to quit flashing whenever I get a little above or below the set range. Maybe there is a setting for that somewhere, but that too is a pretty minor annoyance.
Click to expand...

new ioniq5 SE (MSRP 4 days before gas prices took off like a rocket) and long-time 2019 Clarity owner here... we're keeping both

Lane Keeping on the I5 is umm... completely unpredictable at the tops of hills, and areas with potholes

it's like the sensors point too high, or something else, but it's disconcerting to a Clarity driver

top out on even a gradual hill, and it starts 'hunting'
but not the Clarity

hit a medium-sized pothole and it overcorrects
but not the Clarity

i'm sure everything can be fixed with a future update
 
insightman said:
Will the I5 let you limit the charge to a set sub-max percentage or do you have to tell Alexa to remind you to go out and unplug after a length of time you know through experimentation will achieve less than a full charge?
Click to expand...

of course you can set your choice of charge levels, as well as charge current rates (Max, Reduced and Minimal), but many home level 2 chargers won't provide Max current rate that the I5 can accept... we believe that Reduced is approx 50%, but it doesn't explicitly tell you that anywhere

i have a post which tells all the issues i had finding one that will get Max RoC, which is 10kw, on a 40amp dedicated 220volt breaker
let me see if i can find that post
 
CharlesBranch said:
g trip
I noticed on the Electrify America charger that the kw rate really drops off once I get over 80%. Is that not enough protection? I let it go to 90% yesterday and then stopped. Would a good plan be to stop at 80% and then finish at home if I have a long trip scheduled? I wish Hyundai would come out with some clear recommendations. That would seem to be in their best interest, since the battery is supposedly coveref for 10 years.
Click to expand...
Hi Charles, if the KW really drops (maybe to a level 2), it is to protect the battery. For people paying for electricity the price will be exorbitant because the price by hour is high on level 3 and you get a level 2 (slow) recharge rate (in Quebec, ratio of 15:1).
 
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