Seeing that commercial during the 2018 Super Bowl is what resulted in me canceling a reservation for a Tesla Model 3 and buying my 2018 Clarity.
A Clarity commercial during a Super Bowl? I feel even better about my decision to stop watching NFL games before being exposed to such an atrocity.
I'm coming up on six months since ordering my 2020 through my Michigan dealer. I've been told that it's in transit, so we'll see. While Honda has distributed 2020's to several non-California dealers, the vast majority are in California and I suspect that will be the case for MY 2021.
I suspect you’re correct. CA is the ideal market for the Clarity. Incentives from the state and utility companies that don’t exist in some other states, are appealing. High fuel prices and a warm climate, that has minimal impact on EV range throughout the year, contribute to long term benefits of reduced operating costs. Low demand would be expected where there are 4-6 months of cold temperatures, low gas prices and high electricity rates.
Low demand could also be blamed on low gas prices, zero advertising and clueless, recalcitrant dealers. I believe that $4/gallon gasoline alone would have made the Clarity PHEV a viable proposition nationwide even with zero advertising and clueless, recalcitrant dealers. Perhaps if this amazing car became so popular that it was selling at MSRP, the dealers would become less clueless and recalcitrant. Nah, that will never happen and Americans don't want cars anymore. Maybe if gas cost $4/gallon and Honda turned the Clarity into a Ridgeline PHEV or the rejected Pilot PHEV...
I’ve seen $4-5/gallon gas in CA. It appears to have no impact on the amount of driving people do or the sales of trucks, SUV’s or 500hp commuter cars that mostly go 8-12mph on the 405. Honda would also have to squirt out more than 10K-20K units per year.
With gas hovering around $1.75 here, there isn't any demand for small cars, hybrids, or PHEV's. Everyone wants an SUV that has its own zip code. Doesn't mean I still don't enjoy driving in complete electric silence to work everyday.
Nice commercial but It's the first time I see it. After all it is true that in YouTube you can find almost anything, even a Clarity commercial. However, I have never seen any on my local LA channels, which were the ones I was referring to. Plenty of "Honda helpful moments" but no Clarity is ever shown. Can't speak for cable since I cut the cord like 6 years ago.
At the end of 2018 (gas near $5 in LA) I was on the hunt for a PHEV, test-drove and almost bought a Chevy Volt, but then I saw the Clarity at the LA auto show and it was love at first sight. Then on top of that GM "cancelled" the Volt...
Oh, they didn't "cancel" the Volt--they cancelled it. A year ago tomorrow a red light runner totalled my '13 Volt. The local dealer had a new '19 Volt equipped the way I wanted listed in their inventory. When I inquired about it, they reported that GM had ordered all of their remaining Volts into loaner pool duty, to be sold at a discount a few thousand miles later.
I got lucky and caught an internet advertisement in September of last year from a local dealer with a new 2019 equipped the way I wanted it and discounted $11k from the sticker price. I got it just before the tax credit halved a second time. Was able to work out a good trade on my 2012 Volt with 82k miles and ended up paying about 11k after consideration of the $3750 tax credit and trade value and GM mastercard rebate that I had no other immediate use for.
Now I'm jealous! My wife's Ford Focus got totaled too in December and what we got was a 2013 Civic coupe in around 10k... and I believed I was lucky...
I did the same apart from Tesla not being able to figure out the car’s price... Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs