HONDA CLARITY HAS ONE BIG HANG-UP
Hydrogen fuel-cell car claims 366-mile range; we got far less
Honda’s new generation of its Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell car boasts a maximum range of 366 miles.
But to those lured into leasing one, we’re hoping you’re having better luck than us in achieving anything close.
We didn’t miss by a mile. We missed by 75 of them.
No one would ever be able to achieve a perfect 366, as rated by the Environmental Protection Agency. That would mean completely emptying the car’s two hydrogen tanks. But we were surprised and confused that we missed the mark by such a wide margin. Two other journalists who had cars at the same time also questioned the range.
Some automakers have been trying to develop realistic hydrogen-powered cars for years as a more practical alternative to battery-electric cars. Both fuel-cell and pure electrics are emissionfree. Hydrogen fuel-cell cars have the advantage of being able to be filled up in minutes and driven long distances, unlike pure-electrics, which can require long periods plugged into a charger. The problem with hydrogen cars is there are relatively few places to refill them, which is why range becomes so important.
We had high hopes for the new Clarity. It’s the latest generation of fuel cell and anchors a lineup that will include a plug-in hybrid and a pure electric, both of which are going to be unveiled in a couple of weeks at the New York Auto Show. The new Clarity’s fuel cell is both smaller and more powerful than the last generation. Inside, Clarity has the feel of an Acura, a car from Honda’s luxury line, with a nice melding of wood and leather to create an upscale impression.
Clarity is available only by lease from select dealers at $369 a month over three years with $2,800 due at signing. The big selling point is that Honda is throwing $15,000 worth of hydro- gen fuel into the deal — a critical factor considering that hydrogen sells for up to $16 a kilogram, roughly equal to a gallon of gas. That’s a lot of fuel, helped along by the fact the car is rated at 69 miles per gallon equivalent to gasoline in the city and 67 mpg on the highway.
“Overall, we’ve tried to overcome all the barriers to acceptance,” says Stephen Ellis, Honda’s manager of fuel-cell vehicles.
But the range question could be a painful surprise for customers who thought the car could live up to what they see on the billboards — 366 miles — without reading the fine print about the range depending on how you drive.
Overall, we traveled 286 miles on a tank of fuel, beating the estimated range meter in the car by 6 miles. We had 5 miles left to spare before the car would run out of fuel. That’s a total of 291 — a far cry from 366 miles of range.
Reaching out to Honda for an explanation, Ellis said the estimated range meter in the Clarity adjusts based on how people drive.
As drivers learn how to squeeze more miles out of a Clarity by driving more tenderly, the estimated range will increase accordingly. The range, he says, is completely accurate under the Environmental Protection Agency’s protocols.
We are, by no means, a leadfoot. Average drivers may love the Clarity, but they better be prepared for fewer miles than they expect — at least initially — than the car will let them travel.