Honda Clarity EV to Get Modest 80-Mile Driving Range

The upcoming all-electric variant of Honda Motor Co.’s Clarity sedan will be able to drive only about 80 miles before it needs to be recharged, Automotive News reports.

This will put the Clarity behind most other EVs and give it about one-third the range of General Motors' new Chevrolet Bolt, which has a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rating of 238 miles. At 80 mpg, the Clarity EV would surpass only the aging Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric minicar, which has an EPA rating of 62 miles, Green Car Reports notes.

Honda chose to use a relatively small and lighter battery pack to keep costs down while maintaining the midsize dimensions of the Clarity platform, Steve Center, vice president of environmental business development for American Honda Motor, tells AN. The newspaper says the Clarity EV is expected to start at about $35,000 (before any tax credits and incentives are applied) when it launches this spring.

Pointing out that Honda is known for making affordable cars, Center says an “obscenely priced long-range” EV would have gone against the company’s brand image. Most of Honda’s current customers wouldn’t be able to buy such a high-priced model, Center notes.

There are tradeoffs involving size, driving range and price for all EVs, AN points out. For example, the Bolt starts at $37,500, but the five-seat hatchback is smaller than the Clarity. Nissan’s second-generation Leaf will be even less expensive and smaller with a modest driving range of 107 miles. Tesla's Model S and X are bigger and have more than a 200-mile range but cost more than twice as much as the Bolt and Clarity.

Hyundai's upcoming Ioniq EV takes a mid-level approach in terms of size, range (124 miles) and pricing. BMW's i3 and Volkswagen's e-Golf also surpass the 100-mile threshold but are pricier.

Honda says its three-model Clarity lineup will let customers choose their level of electrification. The carmaker already offers a fuel cell-powered version and plans to launch a plug-in hybrid Clarity later this year.