Honda’s three-in-one Clarity sedan is now just two-in-one.
If you want to lease a 2020 Honda Clarity Electric for the next three years, you’re a little late. According to Honda’s website and a confirmed statement from a Honda Rep, the Honda Clarity will no longer be available as a BEV.
It looks like Honda's pulled the plug on the 2020 Clarity EV. This is their website right now. https://t.co/tlt8ypt066 pic.twitter.com/w7A9zZEWD2
— Paulo Acoba (@ferio_252) January 29, 2020
Please check out the Honda rep’s official statement below.
“The Clarity Electric is not returning for the 20 MY. Honda constantly evolves its product portfolio, and we are developing new, highly appealing BEVs for customers who want a pure electric vehicle. At the same time, Honda continues expanding the application of its 2-motor hybrid-electric technology for core models as the most effective means to realize volume sales of more efficient electrified vehicles that can deliver significant reductions in fleetwide CO2 emissions in the near term. “
Embed from Getty ImagesWhile available for lease as a fuel cell vehicle, plug-in Hybrid, and EV, the Honda Clarity green triple threat racked up more than a handful of awards for being able to use gas, electricity, or hydrogen seamlessly between models. Awards poured in from the State of California, MotorWeek, and Cars.com to name a few
Honda discontinuing just the Electric Clarity has been a rumor for a while. First introduced in 2016 and available for lease in 2017 along with the Clarity Hybrid, 2020 marks three years since original lessees drove off dealership lots.
The Clarity was only available to Oregon and California residents.
With an attractive $899 down payment and a 36 month lease for $199 a month, the Clarity was a viable electric-only option for Honda loyalists and EV early adopters looking for a second car that seats five with all the comfort of a regular sedan.
Most early first impressions and reviews bemoaned the Clarity EV’s 89 mile range, one of the lowest available, but most forget that Honda birthed the Clarity as a Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicle first before becoming a Hybrid and EV.
According to Auto News around the time Clarity Electrics hit the road,
The automaker defined two parameters that were nonnegotiable: the physical size of the Clarity platform — which the EV shares with the Clarity plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell models — and the cost of the battery-electric version, which is expected to start around $35,000 before any tax credits or incentives (pricing hasn’t been announced).
With those hard points, Honda didn’t leave itself any leeway to fit a longer-range battery, which would have been heavier and costlier.
But from actual Clarity Electric owners I’ve observed on a Clarity Electric Facebook group, I think I speak for most owners that they’ve been more than satisfied with their lease experience.
According to one owner,
The Clarity Electric has been the single LEAST EXPENSIVE vehicle I may have ever owned.
This doesn’t mean you won’t see Clarity Electrics on the road, as late as December 2019 a handful of Clarity Electrics were still being leased to new owners so it’s safe to assume you’ll still see Clarity Electrics until 2022.
With the Clarity Electric gone, Honda does not have an electric-only option in its lineup. As per Honda’s statement above, Honda is moving forward with their hybrid lineup instead.
If you’re hankering for an electric-only experience, the Clarity Plug-in Hybrid’s 47 mile electric-only range and 340 miles of total range should be more than enough for most commuters. And you can actually finance one to keep.
