Now at 82 Mile Range

[czbo]

I picked up my 2019 Clarity on Tuesday and I've only charged it a few times so far but my estimated electric range is way lower than what people are seeing here.

Its not particularly cold here or anything. I think the first time I charged it it was at 41 miles so I guess its creeping up.

Does this seem normal to you guys?

I am a new 2019 Clarity PHEV owner. I have had the car for 1 week and my EV range estimates have been 42, creeping up to 44. When I picked up the car I drove 130 miles on the interstate freeway in HV mode to get home, and then it's been few miles commute to work daily in ECON mode. I have the climate set to auto and it uses the heater to warm up the car. I am curious to see if the EV range estimate will go up with mostly non-highway driving (less than 45 mph).

 

[su_A_ve]

I am a new 2019 Clarity PHEV owner. I have had the car for 1 week and my EV range estimates have been 42, creeping up to 44. When I picked up the car I drove 130 miles on the interstate freeway in HV mode to get home, and then it's been few miles commute to work daily in ECON mode. I have the climate set to auto and it uses the heater to warm up the car. I am curious to see if the EV range estimate will go up with mostly non-highway driving (less than 45 mph).

It should go up but until you get to low temps. When the heater kicks in, range will plummet. Today with about 26 mile round trip commute, mostly flat, but with a few miles highway doing 65-70, some miles doing 55-60 and the rest doing 25-50 (unless there's traffic), I get about 53 EV miles. If I do mostly back roads range goes up a little more. But once temp go down and winter gets here, I'll barely get low 30s EV range.

One thing as a new owner is to see if they applied the software fixes. One of them is range but for HV mode. You will know you don't have it on your first gas fill up. The range will probably say 1000 miles. That means you don't have it.

 

[KentuckyKen]

Also be aware that if you have any updates added, the Service Bulletin 18-097 will not be added unless you specifically complain about problems at public EVSEs. 18-097 addresses the problem with the Clarity’s over sensitivity to “dirty” or fluctuating power sources that causes premature shut down of charging before full.

 

[insightman]

One thing as a new owner is to see if they applied the software fixes. One of them is range but for HV mode. You will know you don't have it on your first gas fill up. The range will probably say 1000 miles. That means you don't have it.

Has it been confirmed that 2019 Claritys need dealers to apply this and the other Service Bulletin updates?

 

[Landshark]

Has it been confirmed that 2019 Claritys need dealers to apply this and the other Service Bulletin updates?

Can’t confirm but I’ve never seen any of those wild numbers on my 2019. The estimated numbers have been in the 60-70 range after a full charge. Actual has been 55 a couple times and 2 recent trips of 46 with 15 remaining.

As has been mentioned, it seems like the car learns your driving habits and makes the estimate based on that information. It is new to me so I’ve been nursing it along to see what I can squeeze out of it. Early range estimates were a bit lower, low 50’s, so perhaps as I’m learning to drive it more efficiently it is anticipating more range.

A question about the OP’s 82 mile claim. He mentioned using sport mode and/or HV. Wouldn’t those modes fire up the ICE when needed?

 

[Rajiv Vaidyanathan]

As has been mentioned, it seems like the car learns your driving habits and makes the estimate based on that information. It is new to me so I’ve been nursing it along to see what I can squeeze out of it. Early range estimates were a bit lower, low 50’s, so perhaps as I’m learning to drive it more efficiently it is anticipating more range.

Yes, and it seems to adjust fairly quickly. I was regularly getting EV ranges from 53-56 miles, but every time I make a longer trip using HV (I've had to make several such trips recently), my range on the next charge drops to the low to mid 40s. I've stopped letting it bother me just as I've stopped getting excited on the rare occasions when the range reached 59 and 60. Overall, I get approximately 50-55 in real range in the summer and that's good enough for me.

 

[insightman]

The 2018 Clarity PHEVs had a problem with the HV range, not the EV range. When I would fill the gas tank, the HV range would just keep increasing, challenging me to believe I could go more than 1,000 miles on the next tankful. It sounds like at least that software update was incorporated into the 2019 Clarity PHEVs.

 

[Hoon]

I’m on about 1000 miles now. Without AC or heater on I was actually getting close to 62 miles EV. It started raining and temps dropped to 55-60F, so I tried AC & heater and driving around I get 40 miles. I’d say experiment with your driving, and once you get the feel don’t get hung up on the estimated mile range. The OP’s title of 82 miles is clearly a bogus unrealistic number.

 

[2002]

The OP’s title of 82 miles is clearly a bogus unrealistic number.

Unrealistic yes, bogus no. The OP was reporting driving within about ten mile radius of their home, on speed restricted roads often at about 30 mph. Using sport mode with paddles for as much braking as possible, brake pedal only at the last few mph. And during a time of year without heat or AC. So it was a demonstration of basically the maximum range possible.

 

[insightman]

I’m on about 1000 miles now... The OP’s title of 82 miles is clearly a bogus unrealistic number.

The 1000 miles is the more unrealistic number--that equates to 142 mpg if the 7-gallon tank is full.

 

[Hoon]

Unrealistic yes, bogus no. The OP was reporting driving within about ten mile radius of their home, on speed restricted roads often at about 30 mph. Using sport mode with paddles for as much braking as possible, brake pedal only at the last few mph. And during a time of year without heat or AC. So it was a demonstration of basically the maximum range possible.

I say it's bogus because his first post lacks a lot of information. He goes on to say later on that he does use some HV mode. Using HV mode really makes it really hard to say how much was on EV, and we are going by what he remembers.

I too try not to touch the brake pedals, use Sport mode, drive at 4:30am when there's no traffic, perfect green lights all the way, at max 45mph. Most I saw was around 65 miles I could probably do better if it weren't for the hills that I have to go over, but I think 82 miles on EV only is BS. (just my opinion)

 

[2002]

I say it's bogus because his first post lacks a lot of information.

That doesn't make it bogus.

He goes on to say later on that he does use some HV mode.

He goes on to say exactly what I stated. Post #8

https://www.insideevsforum.com/community/threads/now-at-82-mile-range.5804/#post-63584

He stated this was the range he is getting. He wondered if anyone else had experienced similar. Yes his driving routes are not ours and probably not most peoples, in hindsight it would have been more clear if he included details in the first post, but most people quickly realized he had different driving conditions than most people and he cleared up any confusion in post #8.

 

[David Towle]

That doesn't make it bogus.


He goes on to say exactly what I stated. Post #8

https://www.insideevsforum.com/community/threads/now-at-82-mile-range.5804/#post-63584

He stated this was the range he is getting. He wondered if anyone else had experienced similar. Yes his driving routes are not ours and probably not most peoples, in hindsight it would have been more clear if he included details in the first post, but most people quickly realized he had different driving conditions than most people and he cleared up any confusion in post #8.

I just noticed this thread got revived. Thanks 2002 for the support in my absence. FYI I never got above the seventies again after that high point.

And now I can't report anything at all, because I realized it was so much cheaper to use gasoline where I live so I've stopped charging the car from the grid at all. I've been averaging 51 mpg over the last 5 tanks by using EV at low speed, HV Charge when going on longer local routes around 40 mph, and HV on the highway (usually between 68 and 72). Still gives me the feel of electric driving on short errands but costs a lot less, and still keeps the battery available and "exercised" versus just leaving in HV all the time.

 

[Hoon]

The 1000 miles is the more unrealistic number--that equates to 142 mpg if the 7-gallon tank is full.

Oh, the 1000 miles I mentioned was about my current odometer reading, just saying it's a brand new car. My gas guestimate is saying 276 miles remaining on gas, and I'm still on my first gas tank.

I just noticed this thread got revived. Thanks 2002 for the support in my absence. FYI I never got above the seventies again after that high point.

And now I can't report anything at all, because I realized it was so much cheaper to use gasoline where I live so I've stopped charging the car from the grid at all. I've been averaging 51 mpg over the last 5 tanks by using EV at low speed, HV Charge when going on longer local routes around 40 mph, and HV on the highway (usually between 68 and 72). Still gives me the feel of electric driving on short errands but costs a lot less, and still keeps the battery available and "exercised" versus just leaving in HV all the time.

Hey David, sorry I should have worded it with more friendly language. Thanks for the update by the way. 51 mpg with gas only over 5 gas tanks is pretty impressive. I was reading 30-40 mpg on HV mode from others.

 

[Landshark]

That doesn't make it bogus.


He goes on to say exactly what I stated. Post #8

https://www.insideevsforum.com/community/threads/now-at-82-mile-range.5804/#post-63584

He stated this was the range he is getting. He wondered if anyone else had experienced similar. Yes his driving routes are not ours and probably not most peoples, in hindsight it would have been more clear if he included details in the first post, but most people quickly realized he had different driving conditions than most people and he cleared up any confusion in post #8.

The way I read post 8 is that he used Sport mode. In post 18 he said he used HV mode to get on the freeway. I’m still learning, but don’t both of those modes employ use of the ICE engine? That would seem to invalidate the claim of 82 miles on EV.

 

[Landshark]

I just noticed this thread got revived. Thanks 2002 for the support in my absence. FYI I never got above the seventies again after that high point.

And now I can't report anything at all, because I realized it was so much cheaper to use gasoline where I live so I've stopped charging the car from the grid at all. I've been averaging 51 mpg over the last 5 tanks by using EV at low speed, HV Charge when going on longer local routes around 40 mph, and HV on the highway (usually between 68 and 72). Still gives me the feel of electric driving on short errands but costs a lot less, and still keeps the battery available and "exercised" versus just leaving in HV all the time.

I’m curious what your rates are per kWh for electricity and what the price of gasoline is where you live.

 

[2002]

The way I read post 8 is that he used Sport mode.

The way I read post #8 is that he mentioned four things that would effect EV range:

"there's a fair number of roads where the speed limit is 25 and I usually don't exceed limits by more than 5." (probably the single biggest factor)

"No on flat, CT is hilly." (can affect range but would need more details)

"mainly doing errands within about a 10 mile radius." (this explains the very low speed limits)

"driving as often as possible in Sport with max regen. Then I try to drive without using the brakes at all except that last 6 mph." (self explanatory)

This was in addition to what he said in post #1:

"daily high temperatures are now in the seventies." (very little AC or heat needed)

In post 18 he said he used HV mode to get on the freeway. I’m still learning, but don’t both of those modes employ use of the ICE engine? That would seem to invalidate the claim of 82 miles on EV.

He uses HV on the highway, and switches back to EV when exiting the highway. What he said in post #18 is that he realized after thinking about it that he turns on HV about a half mile before the entrance and needs to deduct that from the EV range.

"On this charge cycle I made two highway round trips, so 4 get off the highway events, and each one probably is worth 1 mile I estimate."

So yeah 82 is totally bogus dude. He really probably only got around 78.

 

[insightman]

The way I read post 8 is that he used Sport mode. In post 18 he said he used HV mode to get on the freeway. I’m still learning, but don’t both of those modes employ use of the ICE engine? That would seem to invalidate the claim of 82 miles on EV.

Many members of this forum use SPORT Mode but have precise control of their ankle muscles so that they don't activate the ICE. Only in ECON Mode can you use the accelerator pedal "click" to separate EV and ICE operation, but in NORMAL and SPORT Modes you can watch the POWER/CHARGE Gauge to show you when the ICE will activate. HV (Honda doesn't call it a "mode," probably to distinguish it from ECON, NORMAL and SPORT Modes) usually does start the ICE, but it's not unusual for HV to turn off the ICE once in a while (and light the EV led) in it's wonderfully mysterious, artificial-intelligence-driven operation.

For advanced study, you can get into the underlying modes (EV Drive, Hybrid Drive, and Engine Drive) the Clarity PHEV uses to implement the 3 user-selectable modes and HV and HV CHARGE.

 

[David Towle]

The way I read post 8 is that he used Sport mode. In post 18 he said he used HV mode to get on the freeway. I’m still learning, but don’t both of those modes employ use of the ICE engine? That would seem to invalidate the claim of 82 miles on EV.

I never said I actually got 82 miles in EV. It’s what the display indicated that one time after a very high percent of local travel. It’s hard to get actual numbers on EV alone I don’t think the actual miles ever went over 75.

 

[2002]

I never said I actually got 82 miles in EV. It’s what the display indicated that one time after a very high percent of local travel. It’s hard to get actual numbers on EV alone I don’t think the actual miles ever went over 75.

I think most people report EV range based on the estimate as it is hard to track actual EV miles. It's easy only if you never switch to HV, but many of us drive EV mainly on surface street and switch to HV on the highway. Sure you can make a note of the odometer reading each time you transition back and forth and then do calculations, but no one is going to do that on every drive. It has been pointed out many times that what is lacking in the information in the statistics that the car provides is showing miles driven in EV mode (and miles driven in HV mode)