Thinking of buying Honda Clarity, some questions

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oko

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Hi all,

I have a leaf and altima, and I want to replace altima with clarity. My main reasoning is reducing ICE usage to almost 0. But I have been about reading ICE starting up unexpectedly issues here in this forum. I followed a lot of threads but don't see this answer: How likely will ICE turn on during hot weather? Since the manual says ICE will turn on in hot weather, I think this might happen, but is there any real time experiences? I leave in Austin, TX, and it has been 100 or so close to 100 since the middle of May (and probably will be like this until October). Will the ICE turn on around frequently at 100F weather? I want to drive mostly Clarity during hot times because of the obvious leaf battery problems.

Any response is appreciated :-)
 
Just remember that there have been about 7,000 Clarity PHEVs sold in the U.S. and there are only a couple of people on the forum having the unexpected ICE turn on and there may be an explanation for why it is coming on. Unexpected does not necessarily mean un-explainable.

There are several members in hot climates who seem to be quite happy - hopefully one of them will chime in.

geo
 
We haven't yet had too many days over 100 but many high 90s. The air conditioning in the Clarity works quite well. I know the ICE might be used to heat in the winter but it's not needed for AC. I don't know why the higher temps would demand the ICE.

So far we don't have the engine come on around town at all. It's only when I jam the accelerator needing extra power to get out of a jam that it comes on.
 
Haven’t seen 100 yet but low 90sF with a/c set to 72 are not causing ICE to come on for me.
Suggest you do what I did and have IR/ heat reflecting window tint applied. I even had 75% VLT applied to windshield (check your laws) and it really cuts down on how hot the car gets and how much the a/c has to work.
 
@oko

Hi Austin - Midland here. It's been averaging over a 100 (with a few exceptions) for nearly 3 weeks. At first I saw a big drop in estimated EV, but it has stabilized and all of the last week it is showing 52-56 miles estimated EV. It doesn't get that good, however, because afternoon driving with full AC cuts into distance, but I think it is still well into the mid-upper 40's EPA estimate. As for the AC - it works great and cools off my Clarity way faster than our Odyssey (granted, a lot more volume in the Odyssey, but I'm talking even right in front of the driver - you get instant cold air). THE ICE DOES NOT RUN BECAUSE OF THE HEAT. I generally run in Econ mode; not goosing it from starts; letting paddle down to a red light; it does not kick the ICE on even in 111 degree heat. Your AC is fully electric, so the battery is taking the hit, not the ICE.

Plan to get your windows tinted - it is a hot beast in the Texas sun with those clear windows as delivered. Also, I keep my garage door cracked and set the Level 2 charger to start at 4:00 am when the temp inside the garage at least dips below 100. I noticed when following my usual "charge when i get home" routine and the garage is in the 110-120 range, the battery cooling system is running full blast to keep the batteries from overheating while recharging.
 
A full charge in our area is roughly equivalent to a gallon of gas in terms of travel miles. If most of your trips are within your EV range, you will likely be good on your goal of small ICE use. As mentioned, with thousands of these vehicles now on the road, if the unexpected/unexplained/misunderstood ICE issues were robust, we'd hear lots more about them than we have so far. I've never had the ICE switch on in any of those conditions. Coming from a Prius PHEV, where ICE came on if you looked out the windshield with speed on your mind… let's just say that it's a pleasure to drive and travel in the car.

The one or two stories from those who are understandably unhappy with their purchases (out of thousands) should not be a consideration. I feel badly for them, and I hope they get their problems resolved by Honda. But the likelihood of any random buyer getting a Clarity with a problem seems pretty close to zero - and certainly well within statistical expectations. One would run that risk with any vehicle purchase.
 
Wow... great and accurate info... could not have answered better... go buy a Clarity while the getting is good....


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