gas tank size

[ProspectiveBuyer]

Is anyone annoyed by the gas tank size? I realize most people aren't refueling nearly as much because they're able to keep the car charged consistently. But just wondering about people who can't always do so. Or for long trips. Has anyone found this to be a problem?

 

[ace base]

I hear you, in my case I am more annoyed with my Accord V6 which needs a fill up before 240 miles as the fuel gauge is not reliable and mpg of this car varies from 16-20. I have run out of fuel once on freeway, and would’t want that to happen again.

BTW, Clarity comes with 24/7 road side assistance for 3 yr/36k

See here
http://ev.owners.honda.com/Clarity/ModelInfo/PlugInFAQ?pageMenu=PlugIn2018


Roadside Assistance

• Is there a roadside assistance program?
• Yes, free 24/7 roadside assistance is available for towing, lockout and flat tire services, in the event you need it. Service is available in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico for 3 years/36,000 miles. The navigation system, as well as the HondaLink® app, includes the number for free nationwide roadside assistance, 1-866-864-5211.
• There is no spare tire. What happens if I get a flat?
• Honda has included 24/7 Roadside Assistance that offers flat-tire repair, lockout assistance and towing services. Like other Hondas, the Clarity Plug-in Hybrid also comes equipped with a tire repair kit to reduce the weight of the car and to help maximize the MPGe. The kit consists of a canister of sealant to plug punctures and a small electric air compressor to re-inflate the tire. The number for Roadside Assistance is 1-866-864-5211.

 

[Sandroad]

Is anyone annoyed by the gas tank size? I realize most people aren't refueling nearly as much because they're able to keep the car charged consistently. But just wondering about people who can't always do so. Or for long trips. Has anyone found this to be a problem?

Not really. The ICE runs pretty much only on the highway where my Clarity gets an easy 40mpg (probably more). That gives me a comfortable 250 mile range using the ICE (HV mode). I stop more frequently than that anyway and it's no big deal to get gas at stops. If the Clarity tank were any larger, in my case the gas might go stale because I don't use the car very much on the road and a larger tank would last too long between fill ups! I think they have tank size about right. I have to admit, though, I'm used to stopping for gas. My other vehicle drinks gas voraciously and when towing my camper, I get acquainted with stations every couple hundred miles.

 

[jorgie393]

No, not an issue even on long trips at least on East Coast. But that is because need for personal fueling (primarily coffee), rest stops and stretching mean I need to take breaks before my Clarity does.

If I was driving out West routinely at 80mph with few gas stations, might feel differently. But my current experience is similar to my old Accord with bigger tank but poorer mileage.

 

[K8QM]

We're in the small minority that is in the 10,000 mile club (in four months) so we've taken a lot of trips in the Clarity and have more HV than EV miles. With that being said I haven't seen the tank size as any particular inconvenience.
But as always ...
YMMV

geo

 

[dstrauss]

We're in the small minority that is in the 10,000 mile club (in four months) so we've taken a lot of trips in the Clarity and have more HV than EV miles. With that being said I haven't seen the tank size as any particular inconvenience.
But as always ...
YMMV

geo

Agree with geo - we've got 7300 on ours, with several long trips (1000 miles) and numerous 500+ and the gas tank is not an issue. If there were space, I'd recommend they go 10 gal though - that would far outstretch anyone's "other needs" while driving...

 

[loomis2]

One nice thing about the 7 gal tank is when you do stop for gas you aren't there very long. Has anyone times it?

 

[Viking79]

We also have over 12,000 miles now and the tank is too small, but never a problem. I wish it had 2 or 3 gallons more for added flexibility, but it has enough range. Every stop is a gas stop.

 

[PHEV Newbie]

A PHEV design is a challenge. I suspect they could have easily put in a gas tank that provided a 500 mile range but many (most?) PHEV buyers rarely use gas and these buyers would be somewhat annoyed with being forced to use gas more often to prevent it from going stale. The 7 gallon tank seems to be a compromise. Sure, you could keep the tank half full but most drivers typically just fill up to maintain maximize range, just in case. The same could be said with the small 1.5 liter ICE. The 2.0 liter (in the Accord hybrid) would improve performance and eliminate the high revving when the battery is depleted but the added weight would reduce EV range and hv mpg. They went with the 1.5 liter knowing that most Clarity buyers stay in EV most of the time are more concerned with everyday EV range than HV smoothness for those occasional road trips.

 

[Tacoma Soccer Dad]

I am very happy with the tank size. I get about 800 miles between gas station visits. Most cars get about 400 miles, so I visit the gas station half as often. I only take a few road trips per year, so whatevs.

 

[KentuckyKen]

Gas tank not a problem for those of us with smaller Bladder Equivalent Size (BSe) than the gas tank capacity.
7 gal * 40 mpg = 280 mile range
280 miles / 70 mph = ~4 hours using half charge EV range as reserve.
My Road Warrior days are over, so stopping ever 4 hours is fine for me (and actually it’s a necessity to be honest).

 

[lorem101]

I'm going on a road trip this weekend and definitely the tank size will affect when we have to stop. For day to day use it's more than enough but I wish it had a bit more range.
If you're not going on a road trip then just don't fill the tank fully

 

[kcsunshine]

It did initially for me. I even considered getting a gas container. I think the purpose of a plug-in hybrid is a commuter car first and long trip car second. For me, a regular hybrid makes more sense but then I wouldn't get the $7,500 federal and $1,700 NYS incentives. If you have no place to plug in, it is like carrying an extra 500 lbs (don't know exact #) for nothing. That 500 lbs will eat away the incentives.

 

[insightman]

I'm going on a road trip this weekend and definitely the tank size will affect when we have to stop. For day to day use it's more than enough but I wish it had a bit more range.
If you're not going on a road trip then just don't fill the tank fully

If you use HV Mode to maintain your starting battery charge, you can use your Clarity's EV capability as a "range extender," enabling you to stretch those paltry 7 gallons to the max (280 highway miles) without the fear of being stranded by the side of the road.

 

[dstrauss]

I'm sure the additional tank space would add weight, but three gallons of gasoline is 19 pounds - don't think that will break the mpg bank to go to 10 gallon (that EASILY gets you 420 miles, so then we can stretch @KentuckyKen 's BSe to 6 hours!)

 

[insightman]

I'm sure the additional tank space would add weight, but three gallons of gasoline is 19 pounds - don't think that will break the mpg bank to go to 10 gallon (that EASILY gets you 420 miles, so then we can stretch @KentuckyKen 's BSe to 6 hours!)

There's not a lot of empty space in a Clarity PHEV. A larger tank would require a smaller battery pack (less range), a higher rear seat (less headroom), or a higher trunk floor (less cargo capacity). The list of compromises the designers of the Clarity PHEV had to make would likely fill a book.

I consider Honda's 2nd take on the plug-in hybrid an amazing success. However, I've been living with Honda's first hybrid, the Insight, for 19 years and I also considered that car an amazing success. Unfortunately, the poor sales of both cars proves how out-of-touch I am with the car-buying public. The car-buying public wants gas-guzzling SUVs, not marvels of mechanical efficiency.

 

[Viking79]

The car-buying public wants gas-guzzling SUVs, not marvels of mechanical efficiency.

People have been asking GM for years to put the Voltec drivetrain in a small to midsize SUV. They still haven't. Thankfully, Honda seems to be listening and will likely due so soon with their "Earth Dreams" (I really hope they market it with a better name) drivetrain. A 30 electric mile Pilot would be amazing if priced just a bit higher than premium gas version (like $40k so it would be similar to EX with tax credit).

 

[Steven B]

Yeah, they optimized as much as they could, I imagine. They knew going in that nearly every ICE vehicle on the road had a range right around 400 miles. That would have been the design goal, but in the trade study, the tank size was also a variable that was solved for and the solution was 7 gallons. With whatever SUV design that emerges, I hope they are able to find additional room (loss of fullsize spare) to get closer to that 400 mile range goal without raising the floor.

 

[jdonalds]

We just took a 1,200 mile round trip a couple of week sback. The smaller gas tank somewhat altered our logistics is all.

7 gallons at our recorded 44 mpg is good for 308 miles. That would take over 4 hours of driving at 75mpg. Way longer than the three of us can go without a potty break.

What we did was target gas stations rather than freeway rest stops for our potty breaks. At each stop we'd fill up the gas tank even if it only needed a couple of gallons. So in the end we didn't stop more frequently than when we had a larger tank in the Prius.

 

[dstrauss]

...I consider Honda's 2nd take on the plug-in hybrid an amazing success. However, I've been living with Honda's first hybrid, the Insight, for 19 years and I also considered that car an amazing success. Unfortunately, the poor sales of both cars proves how out-of-touch I am with the car-buying public. The car-buying public wants gas-guzzling SUVs, not marvels of mechanical efficiency.

...A 30 electric mile Pilot would be amazing if priced just a bit higher than premium gas version (like $40k so it would be similar to EX with tax credit).

Yeah, they optimized as much as they could, I imagine. They knew going in that nearly every ICE vehicle on the road had a range right around 400 miles. That would have been the design goal, but in the trade study, the tank size was also a variable that was solved for and the solution was 7 gallons....

...What we did was target gas stations rather than freeway rest stops for our potty breaks. At each stop we'd fill up the gas tank even if it only needed a couple of gallons. So in the end we didn't stop more frequently than when we had a larger tank in the Prius.

Electric vehicles, whether hybrid or our cherished plug-in hybrid, are studies in compromise (maybe Washington could take a note of that - oh, sorry, I'm the one railing against political commentary in our threads), both for the companies and the drivers. Every time I think we are not as "out of touch" as it seems, my dealer reminds me I am STILL the only Clarity in Midland TX (oh well, I AM in the middle of the biggest US oil boom in history). Only pickups outnumber cross-overs around here (and most of Texas I would bet) so I think @Viking79 is spot on - the key is a 30-40 mile EV range cross-over. It would be a hit even here with all the soccer dads and moms, much less where cross-overs rule the roads in other parts of the country. I think in less than 20 years people will look at non-commercial ICE vehicles as "dinosaurs" and even regard our Clarity PHEV as "quaint." The growth of solar, wind, and natural gas powered electric plants will fuel a new age of electric transport. All that will be missing will be building charging sites based on this concept but with fast electric chargers instead: