I met someone with the Clarity electric-only vehicle that gets only 90 miles. I was polite and didn't say what I was thinking But why would anyone buy an ev with only 90 miles of range? I'm surprised that Honda has sold any at all. In reality, it would actually work for my specific situation; but if the work charger went down for a day; it would be a gigantic hassle. I'd also be a nervous wreck constantly watching the range indicator. I practically never use gas in my Clarity; but it provides relief to road range fever This has got to be the worse plan for a car ever
It would work for us only if we had a second car for out of town driving. Our daily trips do not exceed 70 miles. No ICE means no noise, no tuneups, no oil changes, less weight. Should be lower Total cost of ownership.
Usual answers for getting a short range BEV: special HOV lane access that saves them sometimes hours of drive time per week. Only need city car and super low maintenance. Use another vehicle for long distance. Price with incentives. In the case of the Clarity, much better ride & room than other short range solutions.
90 miles would work for almost everyone; but Honda forgot one important thing: Human Nature and Range Anxiety 90 miles limits the heck out of your sales prospects .
With vehicles like the Bolt with 238 miles of EV range, it makes little sense to buy a Clarity EV with 90 miles range.
I'm not arguing the logic. Logically it would work for the vast majority of people; but who is going to buy a car with a 90 mile range when it can take hours to "refuel?" I think that their sales figures prove the point. It just seems like a bonehead move by Honda. Perhaps it's more of a R&D vehicle or there is some kind of goofy tax advantage to doing it this way. It just seems like it was doomed to fail with the limited range. Double the range to 180 miles, and they've got a car that is sellable. I'm not an automotive industry expert . Im just voicing an opinion that may not be very well informed )
I'm going to ask again. Isn't the BEV lease only? I see a lease kind of like the old chicken and pig relationship to breakfast. Leasing is like the chicken, buying more like the pig. You can try it with the lease with the lack of long term commitment if needs change...
Interesting point. Leasing a vehicle with such a range seems much more palatable to me. It doesn't actually say whether it's lease only, but this article spells out my point and then gives a good case to leasing the vehicle due to the low price and allowable miles. https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2018/05/range-matched-price-hondas-clarity-ev-leasing-199-month/
While 90 is in the low end, you seem to be assuming that Honda's the only one in this category. Some has even less https://insideevs.com/2018-u-s-models-bev-range-comparison-infographic/ And there are a Lot of reasons why someone would opt for a BEV rather than a PHEV, even with a low range Yes. AFAIK, the only Clarity that is for sale in the US is PHEV. Both the BEV and the Fuel Cell are both lease only (at least in the US)
Yes, the key selling points are: 1 - Extremely low price of entry 2 - Lease only, so you are taking no residual value risk 3 - 20,000 mi/yr 4 - Comes standard with leather and all other options, vs. another where they will charge up to $5k for a premium options package I agree 100% that it appeals to a niche market, but if you have a short commute and want carpool lane access, and a reasonably sized car, it is a great entry point. I got one as my first EV, because there are no good slam dunk options out there and it was a good cheap option to bridge me 3 years until more options are available. I considered a Clarity PHEV, but the TCO was close to $200/mo more, so I went with the full Electric.
Over 1/2 million worldwide buyers have (evidently) no issue with short range BEV's. If one were to also include really short range vehicles like scooters, trikes and ev bicycles used as daily transportation, the number is huge. Compliance just like the FCEV. More emissions credits per unit than a PHEV or HEV. Plus it gives them data and experience for the future. An alternative is not make any and just buy credits from Tesla like some other manufactures need to do.
Over the years, I've seen some absolutely fantastic lease terms (mainly California) for short range models like $99 or even $89/mth; however, those are usually with low 10k miles/yr but that's usually not a issue with such short ranges! LOL
The Hydrogen fuel cell and electric Clarity are concept vehicles and are lease only. The fuel cell is only leased in California and the electric is leased in California and Oregon. If you lease one of those cars and then move to a state other than California or Oregon, the lease agreement says you must turn the car back into the dealer. Honda never intended to mass market these cars. A much improved model may be offered in the future.
It is a good way to save on running costs and get a carpool sticker. Most owners have a second car for long distance driving. They just want something cheap for weekday commute of 40-50 miles and using the carpool lane. It is $200 per month, vs. paying $700 for a Tesla, and in the Bay Area you will be on a waiting list to get one. If you have a 40-50 mile commute the fuel cost saving pays for the car.
The Nissan Leaf from the 2011 model year through the 2015 model year had no more than an 84 mile range. The Clarity electric lease is quite attractive at $199 per month for 36 months with $1,799 due at signing. In contrast a base Nissan Leaf lease is $249 per month with $3,979 due at signing. (However, the 2019 Nissan does have 151 mile range.) The Clarity is a lot more car than the Leaf and in some situations would be a great around town car.
And the majority of the country is asking why the heck would I buy a complicated PHEV sedan that almost nobody has even heard of, has 2 insanely complex propulsion systems, relies on government subsidies to make it even remotely economically feasible, runs cheaper on gas than electric in many locales, gets dismal CR reports, depreciates at a nosebleed inducing rate, has little to no resale market, will be every emergency responder’s worst life threatening nightmare in a serious accident with fire situation, and is produced in such low numbers that parts availability and service is already an issue and could get worse....? Cuz I wanted to. It’s because individuals make choices. And I got news for the Clarity fan club here...the vast majority of Americans think you and I made a stupid mistake buying a PHEV clarity. Some drive giant dually diesel pickups, some drive 2 seat sports cars, some huge SUVs, motorcycles, low riders, customs, vintage vehicles, golf carts, segways, bicycles, scooters, public transport, etc. And every individual is making the right perceived transportation choice for him/herself, no matter what that choice may be. And many feel others are making the wrong choice. As for me, I respect every individual’s reasoning and choice in their transportation method, without question or judgement.
We had a Honda Fit EV for almost 5 years with an EPA rated 82 miles of range. We put about 50K miles on it before moving to the Clarity BEV. Why a short range EV? Simple answer - cost. Would a longer range EV be more useful? Yes, to a certain degree, but not at well over 2x the cost. Bolt leases are north of $400/mo. Helped a local Non-Profit get a 2019 LEAF SV with $5K down payment from our raffle at the auto show and $2,500 "cash on the hood" from the Oregon rebate. Lease payment with the $7,500 down was still $280/mo (3 yr, 12K miles/yr). Clarity lease is $199/mo. We put $499 down (The deal at the time was $1,499 but we got $1K as a "loyalty" incentive). State gave us a check for $2,500. If we keep it for the full 3 years, our monthly cost will be ~ $138. If we keep it for just 2 (we can turn it in anytime with no penalty) it would be $107. Vs the PHEV NEVER go to the gas station - always have a full tank in the morning Heat is instant and never requires gas No engine noise - ever (What these "Angry Bees" of which I hear people speak?) More powerful/quicker on electric than the PHEV No maintenance costs or service appointments (well, tire rotations I will do at home) Easily handles 70 mile daily driving all on electric - the PHEV would require charging or gas We do have a 43 mpg "gas guzzler" for longer trips (and for the one of us that will be doing fewer miles that day). It gets less than half the annual mileage that the EV does. It will eventually be replaced by a longer range EV. We looked at the number of times a 200+ mile EV would not handle a given trip over the last 5 years. The answer was - one (and that one was optional and a Tesla would have been no problem with Supercharging availability). I flip the question to those f you that brag about NOT using the ICE portion and managing with only 47 miles of range. Why the heck are you hauling around a gas engine, gas tank, catalytic converter, exhaust system, etc? And paying for maintenance on the aforementioned? Would nearly twice the electric range make life easier? How about 4-5 times?