How significant were environmental concerns in your Clarity purchase/interest?

Primary reason for me was total owning cost. It’s a nice secondary benefit that I’m not using a non-renewable fuel that may be sourced from overseas, and instead paying my local utility who is using US sourced coal and natural gas fired generation (and who also happens to be my employer). Being an EE, I’ve had an interest in EVs since college, which was longer ago than I care to admit, but never found one that I considered practical to own – until the Clarity. It’s a solid all-around family sedan with a comfortable interior, real back seat, real trunk, good highway handling and performance, an electric range that easily handles my normal 30 mile commute each way, and an ICE when needed for longer trips. And initial cost on my 2018 Touring model, after mfg/dealer discounts and federal tax credit, make it a good value compared with other cars in the class.

I have been loyal to American cars my whole life, and considered the Chevy Volt of course, but found it just too small for the price. The Ford Fusion Energi electric range is too short to be useful, the battery takes up most of the trunk, and the drive train is unrefined. Chevy is now discontinuing the Volt in favor of the Bolt, which is a $42,000 shoe box, and the Ford Fusion’s days are numbered as well. American manufacturers in general are abandoning the family sedan and just want to make SUVs, essentially conceding this market segment to the import brands. And I have to hand it to the Honda engineers – the smooth and seamless Clarity PHEV drive train is well done and a joy to drive.

The final piece to the puzzle clicked in when my employer installed a level 2 charger in my parking lot at work as part of an EV charging pilot program. It is a pay-for ChargePoint station, and the rate charged is comparable to what I pay for electricity at home. Being able to charge at both ends of my commute makes a PHEV with 45 mile range a good solution. I’ve also been on my utility’s time-of-use rate for many years, so I am accustomed to shifting heavy electric use to off-peak periods, and charging the car overnight is a natural application. So now my daily commute uses about $2 of electricity instead of $6 of gasoline.

 

For me, environmental concerns were a significant factor. I live in a valley in Utah that sometimes experiences the worst air in the United States . . . especially in the winter with terrible inversions that trap a wide range of pollutants (https://www.abc4.com/news/local-news/utahs-air-ranked-among-worst-in-us-again/). Fortunately, my daily drives are less than 30 miles, so the Clarity allows me to travel on electric power around town without contributing to the poor air quality of our area.

 

We wanted an EV, so read a lot of info on Tesla3, Bolt, eNiro, Soul, etc. But we have a situation with our parents that sometimes require us to go different directions for 250-300 miles at the same time. In an emergency, we concluded, an EV just would not work. So we bought the Clarity, and it is the ideal solution for what we need right now. EV for local trips, HV when needed. Maybe the timing will be right for a Tesla or some other EV/hydrogen/dilithium alternative in the future, but right now the Clarity is perfect.

 

Yesterday it was reported that Anchorage Alaska had had their hottest day ever — 90 degrees. Southern France — 115 degrees. I thought I needed to join the commitment towards decarbonization of our transport, a crucial step in moderating the accelerating climate crisis.
Volkswagen has come out with a great ad featuring their future electric ID :

“Drive like there’s a tomorrow”

(Also I wanted a car that would comfortably seat 5 ☺️)

 

Interesting thread. It illustrates that every individual has a different mix of weighting for the factors that lead them to choose a specific vehicle.
For me, the Clarity was a good match to my specific needs. The EV range covers almost all of my driving needs, and when I need to take a longer trip the Clarity is a fine road car, with good gasoline mileage. The cost to buy was competitive.
As for environmental issues . . . we decided it was time to put our money where our mouth is. We've been supportive of environmental issues but it was mostly talk. We hoped that the Clarity would give us a chance to evangelize in the community. That hasn't really happened, but at least I feel like we're setting a good example.
Yes, traditional gasoline-powered vehicles are a lot more efficient these days. But what I see is people who drive their pickup truck or their Great American Land Boat when there is no need to do so. I feel guilty enough driving the Clarity - it's not exactly a small vehicle - but then I see the V8-powered full-size pickup truck with one person in it I realize that they just don't care.

 

Unfortunately, just like Honda, who refuses to bring their cute all-electric Honda e to North America, VW will not bring their first new-platform electric car, the Rabbit-sized ID.3, to North America. They say the first new-platform electric VW in North America will be a crossover (currently called the ID Crozz). The reincarnation of the VW Microbus in electrified form (currently called the ID Buzz) shown in the TV ad isn't due for 2 more years. I expect Honda to bring out an HR-V EV as their first all-electric vehicle to become widely available in North America.

 

Reducing emissions was what I was looking for. I would've liked to get a fully BEV, but I didn't see any options for used BEV with a good range (200+miles) that I liked. That was in 2021, so I was looking for something from 2018-ish to hit a balance between affordability in a car that probably hadn't taken much abuse. I think of I had been looking just a few years from now, it would be a different situation. But at the time, the only affordable used BEV I saw were the Bolt (I was nervous about problems I read about the batteries and stuff). The Leaf had a miserable range until the 2019 model with extended range, which was outside what we wanted to pay. That led me to look at the Volt and the Clarity. I had good experiences with Honda, and it just seems like a nicer car, so that was that. 6 months in I'm pretty satisfied with it.

 

To me, PHEV is perfect for the circumstances we have likely for the next 5-10 years (or more). My daily commute is 100% electric. I sometimes go 2 months between fill-ups at the gas station. I need not purchase and insure multiple vehicles for different purposes. If I go on a long trip, I do burn gas, but the mileage on Clarity is respectable (It's also a decent hybrid).

To me, PHEV is the sweet spot right now. The BEV (electric only) users might argue the point, but imagine the good that can be done if every commuter switched from gas-only to PHEV. Chose BEV?, Sure, but then do you need a second car to maintain and insure for your long trips? If you can do BEV only, yeah, do that.

 

Gasoline prices just hit $4.45 in my area and it'll probably keep going up for a while. Most of my driving is in EV mode and our electric rates have gone up just a little by comparison. Currently, our Clarity costs 2.4 cents per mile in EV mode (electricity cost) while our Outback costs 20.2 cents per mile for gas driving the same route. Not only is the Clarity relatively better for the environment, it is far, far better for my wallet.