The Honda Clarity PHEV does have one-pedal driving!

Awesome! I know right? It just makes driving more pleasant.

Especially if you have a commute that is mostly stop and go like I do.

I hope Honda takes this car seriously. Owners are loving it and I see great potential for it!

 

No, in sport + 4 chevrons is less regen braking than my Gen 1 Volt in "L".

 

I use L only when I'm stopping. Seem to improve efficiency since I get around 46.5 miles (2013 Volt) on a single charge.

You can set the Clarity display to show real time efficiency. It's under menu, info, trip ???. The most efficient method is tapping the break first and then pulling the paddle shifters to 4 chevron.

 

I own the Touring variant which includes Sport mode. After selecting that mode, I add full regeneration and brake hold for general city driving.

(These selections persist unless I engage the full-range adaptive cruise control -- which, while well implemented, is most useful for highway and urban stop-n-go situations.)

The above Sport-mode configuration provides less regen than the Leaf 2 ePedal experience, but it’s plenty adequate for non-aggressive urban commuting. I use the brake mostly for transitioning from crawl to full stop.

 

Doesn’t Sport mode engage the ICE regularly.

 

Sport mode makes it easier to engage the engine, it still won't engage regularly unless you request power with the go pedal in excess of what the EV will provide. It is easy to drive around in Sport and not engage the engine.

Several edits:
Again, watch the tach like needle around the edge of the instrument cluster, if that extends past the blue range the engine will start. Also, stabbing the go pedal quickly will almost certainly make the engine start in any mode.

Even yesterday, the engine never started on me and the high was 12 F. It was easy to accelerate briskly. I just use Eco mode mostly now, as that is what my wife likes and it stays in that mode. However, I tried sport for a while as well and that was fine and still no engine starting. Sometimes you lose your regen setting, I think on highway when cruise is engaged and maybe while reversing? Haven't totally figured it out yet.

 

As a reformed Prius junky, regen is important to a battery that only provides swing power (especially low speed and at idle), but I just don't see much to be gained in EV with regen

 

Regen is important to recover the energy spent from moving the extra weight of the hybrid system. Without it you would take a loss from the extra weight, especially around town. Highway weight is less important.

 

I have been watching my range gauge while using regen, and it might put 0.1-0.2 mile on the range, that almost immediately disappear when accelerating from stop (and I am pretty light on the accelerator).

 

I’ve noticed the same thing. It seems the recovered range is so minor and so fleeting, that I don’t really bother with the paddles anymore.

 

Today I had a chance to drive my wife's Clarity for a while. I tried the adaptive cruise to a complete stop along with Lane Keep Assist on a busy four-lane-plus-middle-turn-lane type street, which worked great. I also tried Sport with level 4 regen for the first time on the same road, which was way more fun. I could see myself driving that way on everything but the highway for sure.

 

The Clarity with the strongest regen selected is nowhere as strong as the Volt, Bolt, or i3. I really liked the i3 one-pedal power delivery and control. The Clarity does require more time/distance estimation for a one-pedal operation. Compared to the i3 which had regen that was strong enough that they designed it to turn on the rear brake lights...

So that brings up a question, does the strongest regen mode on the Clarity cause brake lights to illuminate?

 

That's a great question, but I'd assume not due to the light regen even at high settings. It was one of the first questions I asked when we got our Model S. The answer there was yes, but the regen on the Model S is far greater than the Clarity, even at the Clarity's highest setting. So with the Tesla, you really need the brake lights to come on since that car really can be used in a one pedal manner.

 

I know all of these technical issues are important to us enthusiast, but if you are really trying to wean people off of ICE by at least commuting under EV only, shouldn't they focus on driving just like climbing into your garden variety Accord? The EV community, including sites like Green Car Reports, should be focusing on this, not criticizing the Clarity for its lack of hypermiling chops!

 

No, my understanding is the Volt works the same way as you describe the Clarity.