Just got 2018 Clarity, and only getting 39/36 miles on full charge

1. You say your EVSE is a level 2, 220V (240V) supply, but how many amps is it? It sounds to me like you are using a 16A EVSE instead of something that can make full use of Clarity's on-board charger (30A).
2. What accessories are you using while driving? Are you using the cabin heater?
3. Are you driving with a heavy foot?

Just some thoughts.

 

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Yes, you need the 32A version to make the most of the Clarity's onboard charger (6.6kW). The 16A charger that you have now is only 3.8kW, which is enough for any of the non-2019 Volts, but does not maximise on the Clarity.

 

Note that to use a 32A EVSE, you'll need to have a 40A (or greater) circuit available. The circuit that supports your 16A charger may not be heavy enough for a 32A charger.

 

If it was only 6 months ago, your electrician should have a record of what they installed, so a phone call should get an answer. It might even be on your invoice from the electrician. Alternatively, you could look at the circuit breaker panel and find the breaker for the charger circuit - it should be marked which one it is somewhere. The breaker will have a number embossed into the arm you throw to reset it. The most likely numbers are 20 (a 20A circuit for a 16A charger) or 50 (a 50A circuit, which will support a 32A charger). But . . . when in doubt, check with an electrician - be safe.

 

Is 5 hours to charge a problem?

The car will properly charge with your existing charger, just increased time. The charger should not affect the miles that you get from a fully charged battery.

Your EV range will vary with driving conditions.

The climate control (Heater, A/C) is a big draw on the battery, and you need to be sure the system is OFF to not use it. Even the seat heater would drop EV range a little.

Changing the wiring and charger is usually expensive, but I think it would only save you a little time on the charging cycle.

 

If the battery gauge shows full, the batteries are fully charged.

The displayed EV range is a number that is somewhere between useless and completely useless. It is a reflection of mileage obtained on the last few drives and an estimate of range should your next trip be consistent with the previous trips.

High speed and a heavy foot will lead to low numbers. Give it a few trips and see if it changes.

 

There are a lot of factors that affect the number of miles that you get on a charge. Temperature, auxiliary electrical loads (like heat or AC), terrain, driving style, and driving speed. The indicted EV range is an estimate based on a short history of past drives. The EV range gauge is sometimes referred to as the Guess-o-Meter (GOM) on this forum. You can search this forum and find MUCH discussion on EV range. I don't know what you mean by "39/36"... Is that the estimated range from two different charge cycles? It is possible that the vehicle is still learning your driving pattern and will make some adjustment to the GOM reading.

If you aren't using heat or AC, and you drive with a light foot (economy mode) without triggering the ICE to come on, and you drive on mostly flat terrain, and you drive at mixed speeds below 60 mph, then 36-39 does seem a little low.

You mentioned that you have not been using heat or AC. What about the nature of your drives? Freeway driving will yield substantially less range than city or mixed (particularly at speeds > 55 mph).

Ultimately, it is the remaining capacity of the HV battery that defines the range for a given scenario. It is also this capacity that Honda uses when determining the warranty status. There is no way to obtain the battery capacity except with professional equipment or at the Honda dealer. The nominal capacity of a new Clarity is 54 Amp-Hours. Battery capacity is expected to deteriorate some over time, but a 2018 should not have dropped very much. Honda's warranty applies when the capacity drops below 66%.

You can get a feel for your capacity if you have an EVSE that records the energy input during a full charge (in kilowatt hours). A full charge when new is something like 14.5 kWh from the EVSE. My 2018 now takes around 13.5 kWh (down 7%) but I reliably get more than 50 miles of EV range with my driving scenario.

If in doubt you can have the dealer check your HV battery capacity. Many dealers are inept with this vehicle, so we can guide you as to how to specifically ask for this measurement. If you just ask them to check your battery they WILL do the wrong thing and measure your 12V battery giving you a useless result.

 

It is true that the displayed EV range can vary widely depending on driving conditions. However, it is far from useless. Kingemail seems to have purchased a used 2018 Clarity. He stated that he usually got 52-54 miles EV range with his 2017 Volt. His observed 36-39 mile range could be from a number of factors. However, unless Kingemail's driving habits have drastically changed from how he drove his Volt, I don't think it's how he is driving. Unfortunately, he cannot compare his estimated EV range from the time the car was new.

All electric vehicle batteries lose capacity with age and use. Those that are operated in warm climates are most likely to lose the most capacity. Plugin hybrids are more likely to lose capacity faster than straight EVs because their battery is smaller and used more completely day after day. It is possible that the previous owner decided to sell based on a significant decrease in EV range.

The Clarity should get about 42 mpg as a hybrid. If it is getting that kind of HV mpg, then the battery is suspect. I suggest that Kingemail have his local Honda dealership check the high voltage battery to determine if it has lost capacity. Honda does not consider the high voltage battery to be defective under the warranty unless it has lost 30% (or possibly 33%) of its capacity. At the EPA expected EV range of 47 miles that works out to about a 32 mile EV range.

 

I agree. I find the EV Range number to be quite useful. For most people, their driving habits are pretty constant from day-to-day and the GOM does a good job. If something changes (like you start using the heater), you will learn to recognize that and the GOM changes accordingly. Generally if you use the heater one day, it is quite likely you will use it the next day and the GOM accounts for that for you. Of course when you are transitioning from fall to winter, it may not do as good a job of predicting what you are going to do, but I think it generally does a good job and you can learn to recognize when / why it may be off a little.

What is the alternative? If it was not predictive based on recent usage, then it would always just blindly show 47 miles after every full charge? That seems even more useless to me.

 

Use the gauge. What’s the financial jingo about past performance and future performance?

47 is a decent reference. I’ve burned through 47 estimated miles in 25 miles of mountainous driving. I’ve also driven 65 miles in EV when the display showed low 50’s.

It’s useless at predicting the driving conditions on any given day. If driving conditions are the same every day, it is equally useless, since range will be known from having made the same trip 167 times. It is largely useless as a measure of battery health as well.

A number of members fester over EV range estimates. Actual miles driven in EV is a more relevant metric.

In this case Kingemail “just got the car” and is concerned about EV range estimates of 36-39. It could be a reflection of the previous owners driving habits or an indication of reduced battery capacity. I’d lean toward the former. And I’ll stand by my opinion that displayed EV range is a rather useless metric.

 

Here is why I like to use the GOM...

When I go on a trip that will exceed the EV range, I like to switch to HV at something like a 50% SOC. Keeping this reserve battery can have a positive impact on HV performance. Yes, I could do this by looking at the bar gauge (and sometimes do). When returning home, I watch the remaining EV miles on the GOM so I know when I reach the point when the remaining EV miles is roughly equal to the distance home (from the navigation system). Then I can switch back to EV such that I 'use' all of my remaining EV miles just as I reach the home charging station. This maximizes the use of EV while minimizing any possible objectionable behavior with a low HV battery.
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Thermostat at 75 might be kicking on the heat (worse for range than A/C), probably want to try setting it at LO, and shut off the A/C.