Primary reason for me was total owning cost. It’s a nice secondary benefit that I’m not using a non-renewable fuel that may be sourced from overseas, and instead paying my local utility who is using US sourced coal and natural gas fired generation (and who also happens to be my employer). Being an EE, I’ve had an interest in EVs since college, which was longer ago than I care to admit, but never found one that I considered practical to own – until the Clarity. It’s a solid all-around family sedan with a comfortable interior, real back seat, real trunk, good highway handling and performance, an electric range that easily handles my normal 30 mile commute each way, and an ICE when needed for longer trips. And initial cost on my 2018 Touring model, after mfg/dealer discounts and federal tax credit, make it a good value compared with other cars in the class.
I have been loyal to American cars my whole life, and considered the Chevy Volt of course, but found it just too small for the price. The Ford Fusion Energi electric range is too short to be useful, the battery takes up most of the trunk, and the drive train is unrefined. Chevy is now discontinuing the Volt in favor of the Bolt, which is a $42,000 shoe box, and the Ford Fusion’s days are numbered as well. American manufacturers in general are abandoning the family sedan and just want to make SUVs, essentially conceding this market segment to the import brands. And I have to hand it to the Honda engineers – the smooth and seamless Clarity PHEV drive train is well done and a joy to drive.
The final piece to the puzzle clicked in when my employer installed a level 2 charger in my parking lot at work as part of an EV charging pilot program. It is a pay-for ChargePoint station, and the rate charged is comparable to what I pay for electricity at home. Being able to charge at both ends of my commute makes a PHEV with 45 mile range a good solution. I’ve also been on my utility’s time-of-use rate for many years, so I am accustomed to shifting heavy electric use to off-peak periods, and charging the car overnight is a natural application. So now my daily commute uses about $2 of electricity instead of $6 of gasoline.
I have been loyal to American cars my whole life, and considered the Chevy Volt of course, but found it just too small for the price. The Ford Fusion Energi electric range is too short to be useful, the battery takes up most of the trunk, and the drive train is unrefined. Chevy is now discontinuing the Volt in favor of the Bolt, which is a $42,000 shoe box, and the Ford Fusion’s days are numbered as well. American manufacturers in general are abandoning the family sedan and just want to make SUVs, essentially conceding this market segment to the import brands. And I have to hand it to the Honda engineers – the smooth and seamless Clarity PHEV drive train is well done and a joy to drive.
The final piece to the puzzle clicked in when my employer installed a level 2 charger in my parking lot at work as part of an EV charging pilot program. It is a pay-for ChargePoint station, and the rate charged is comparable to what I pay for electricity at home. Being able to charge at both ends of my commute makes a PHEV with 45 mile range a good solution. I’ve also been on my utility’s time-of-use rate for many years, so I am accustomed to shifting heavy electric use to off-peak periods, and charging the car overnight is a natural application. So now my daily commute uses about $2 of electricity instead of $6 of gasoline.
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