Clarity is Unloved.

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GHTech

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Greetings,

Honda is running an ad in So. Cal called the "Worst Commute in SoCal". It has a Clarity close to the end of the ad, but a CRV is advertised end the end. I am not sure if it is shown on broadcast TV, as I am watching it on the Channel's website. The video is available at https://worstcommute.com/, but it does not show the advertisement of the vehicle that is shown on on the ad.

Regards,

GHTech
 
The Clarity is an amazing passenger car and I love it. It should be a runaway hit.
If it was an SUV it would be a runaway hit. I know it would have less range and less mpg but it would fit more people’s needs, both real and perceived.
 
I hope Honda doesn't treat that Clarity like Chevrolet did the Volt. When did you ever see a Volt commercial on TV?
 
X2. They’re unicorns outside the states and utility areas that incentivize them heavily. Not even the $7500 fed rebate alone is enough to attract the masses. It was enough for me, that’s all I got. Heck I’m even a Republican who objects to the whole rebate thing lol. So I’m an odd duck. Plus I also still like sedans over suvs. Making me even more odd in today’s world where manufacturers everywhere are discontinuing many other sedans.

Honda definitely missed the mark on hitting what people want. Gas is now cheap. Sedans are a relic of days past. Their dealer network is not able or willing to support EVs yet.

And to be blunt, I really doubt Honda’s goal is to maximize sales of his vehicle. It sells at a loss for sure. Why would they encourage such sales? So I suspect their goal is primarily research. How the tech works in the field in various terrain, weather, usage long term, different driving styles, public perception, dealer education needs, marketing, etc.

I believe the whole Clarity project is, and was intended to be, a R&D expense writeoff for Honda. It’s just one piece of their company planning for the future.
 
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I’ve seem a couple ads via YouTube links. But it seems the local Knoxville dealers are just hawking Accords and Civics, with the occasional CRV or Pilot thrown in for good measure.

Nary a Clarity.
 
I simply don't think that selling the Clarity makes them as much money as selling a gas car. Both on the sale, and the service later. Until EVs are as profitable as gas cars, automakers will have no particular interest in selling them.
 
craze1cars said:
Heck I’m even a Republican who objects to the whole rebate thing lol.
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For others of you who may be conflicted about getting a rebate on this car, ask yourself whether you are conflicted about getting a tax rebate on the mortgage on your house? To me there is more social good in people switching to electric cars than owning their own homes. So relax and enjoy this marvelous car.
 
It's tragic that Honda does not seem to be supporting the Clarity, which I think is a great vehicle, either at the factory or dealer level. The dealership where I bought mine does not even show one any longer and most of the salespeople know almost nothing about them----
 
LAF said:
For others of you who may be conflicted about getting a rebate on this car, ask yourself whether you are conflicted about getting a tax rebate on the mortgage on your house? To me there is more social good in people switching to electric cars than owning their own homes. So relax and enjoy this marvelous car.
Click to expand...

There are no rebates on home mortgages I’m aware of. Deductions yes. Huge huge difference between a rebate and a deduction. For that matter I’m opposed to both.

To answer the question I’m not conflicted and I’m very relaxed!! I know what I believe and I also like the car!
 
The newly elected Governor here in Ohio plans to raise the gasoline tax by 18 cents a gallon. That and the usual spring / summer rise in gas prices might generate more interest in alternative fuels. We'll see if the dealers seize the opportunity.
 
When I took mine in to have the SB's done to it, I took along a charging cord, and requested them to plug it in while they were working on it. They didn't. This dealer is 96 miles from me, one way. When I picked it up originally, it showed EV 0. I requested them to charge it the day before I picked it up -- they didn't. The stellar service that I have received in the past, disappeared on this transaction.

They told me that they didn't have a cord to charge with (that's why I brought mine.) They didn't have a 240-volt hookup for EV. They told me of a Chevy dealer about a 1/2 mile away that had EV charger available. Of course, that dealer had a van parked in the EV spot.

Went to Cracker Barrel for lunch. No EV charger there. However, as I was leaving I saw an open EV charger at a motel next door!

Happy with Clarity. Not happy with the support.
 
GHTech said:
Greetings,

Honda is running an ad in So. Cal called the "Worst Commute in SoCal". It has a Clarity close to the end of the ad, but a CRV is advertised end the end. I am not sure if it is shown on broadcast TV, as I am watching it on the Channel's website. The video is available at https://worstcommute.com/, but it does not show the advertisement of the vehicle that is shown on on the ad.

Regards,

GHTech
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The ad seems to imply that you just throw someone the keys and suddenly they are intuitively a competent Clarity owner. Wait until she checks out all the buttons and switches and looks into the compartments in the trunk. There is a learning curve and I don't think Honda has yet developed a decent way to deal with it. I have seen other Clarity ads, but none have dared mention "Sport Hybrid i-MMD Plug-in", for instance, as if the architecture was irrelevant. Salesmen are not necessarily the best teachers. I think it could be a massive disappointment until Honda develops decent teaching tools for the dealers..
 
craze1cars said:
And to be blunt, I really doubt Honda’s goal is to maximize sales of his vehicle. It sells at a loss for sure. Why would they encourage such sales? So I suspect their goal is primarily research. How the tech works in the field in various terrain, weather, usage long term, different driving styles, public perception, dealer education needs, marketing, etc.

I believe the whole Clarity project is, and was intended to be, a R&D expense writeoff for Honda. It’s just one piece of their company planning for the future.
Click to expand...
You obviously answered your own question, and I agree. I just wonder if Honda is getting any benefit out of this beta test that we're all enrolled in. Are they reading our posts here? If so, do they care? I would like to think that they are and that they do, but there's sure no evidence of that. We won't know for a couple of years, maybe more.
 
They may or may not be reading anything on this forum but they most certainly are collecting a boatload of info from the TCU. Why else would they give us free Honda Link without making us paying for the cellular bandwidth and their server upkeep? There’s no such thing as a free lunch. We’re “paying” for Honda Link by giving Honda a lot of real world data.
Privacy is getting very scarce these days.
 
Finally, an intelligent video on the Clarity! (Except for the part about visiting a dealer for more info.)

And if you think the Volt (RIP) seats 5 just because it has 5 seatbelts, I’ve got some prime swampland in Florida to sell you.
 
David in TN said:
When I took mine in to have the SB's done to it, I took along a charging cord, and requested them to plug it in while they were working on it. They didn't. This dealer is 96 miles from me, one way. When I picked it up originally, it showed EV 0. I requested them to charge it the day before I picked it up -- they didn't. The stellar service that I have received in the past, disappeared on this transaction.

They told me that they didn't have a cord to charge with (that's why I brought mine.) They didn't have a 240-volt hookup for EV. They told me of a Chevy dealer about a 1/2 mile away that had EV charger available. Of course, that dealer had a van parked in the EV spot.

Went to Cracker Barrel for lunch. No EV charger there. However, as I was leaving I saw an open EV charger at a motel next door!

Happy with Clarity. Not happy with the support.
Click to expand...


I understand not having the Clarity plugged in while working on the car but charging the car before delivery to the customer is part of the PDI that the dealer is supposed to do. What else did they not do? Do you have you body plugs in? Did you check your tire pressure? Other items? You should have a copy of the PDI. Check it over. Chances are they just checked boxes but not everything was done.
 
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