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HONDA CLARITY

Honda Wins Earth Day Accolades for 3 New Green Models

April 22, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

Going green on Earth Day, Honda style.

2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell.
2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell.

Automakers like to time important news with key events, including Earth Day which is today. Earth Day isn’t when you want to introduce your big pickup truck or SUV, instead it is the ideal time to showcase your “green” models. Honda stole the show on Wednesday by shedding light on its 2017 Accord Hybrid as well as bringing clarity (pun intended) to its nascent line of electrified vehicles.

2017 Honda Accord Hybrid

At the forefront of Honda’s news this week were details the automaker shared about the 2017 Accord Hybrid. The most recent model was offered in 2014 and 2015, and had an EPA rating of 50 mpg in the city and 45 mpg on the highway.

The 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid is expected to beat that, by delivering 49 mpg on the highway. Honda says the new model will benefit from a two-motor hybrid powertrain and produce 212 combined horsepower. As a result, Honda is anticipating doubling production capacity to meet increased demand for this roomy, five-passenger midsize sedan.

“The new Honda Accord Hybrid is the ultimate Accord – the most refined, technologically sophisticated and, of course, most fuel efficient in the lineup,” said John Mendel, Executive Vice President of the American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “With Accord already America’s most popular car three years running and the best-selling midsize car to younger buyers, we think this new hybrid model will add considerable momentum for the Honda brand.”

Consumers should know that “popular” doesn’t translate into best selling: the Toyota Camry remains the sales leader in this segment.

Technology and Safety Upgrades

Besides its green credentials, the 2017 Accord Hybrid will receive substantial upgrades, paralleling what the current-generation Accord gained with its 2016 roll out.

Notably, technology is at the center of these changes, including available display audio with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Standard is Honda Sensing, representing a suite of driver-assist technologies, including lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, and a collision mitigation braking system.

As for the Accord hybrid’s two-mode powertrain, it has been designed to seamlessly transition between three operations.

For instance, EV drive uses the electric propulsion motor and the lithium-ion battery pack to move the front wheels for short distances under light loads. This means the gasoline engine is off, saving fuel and eliminating pollution.

Further, the hybrid drive system uses the electric propulsion motor to turn the front wheels, while the gasoline engine delivers power to an electric generator to add power to the battery pack. Lastly, the engine drive system utilizes a lock-up clutch mechanism to connect the engine and propulsion motor. Thus, the front wheels are driven by both the motor and gasoline engine.

Honda Clarity Series

Think “Honda Clarity” and the brand’s fuel-cell model may come to mind. But the Clarity moniker won’t stand for Honda’s hydrogen-powered car only for much longer.

Indeed, come 2017 a pair of electrified vehicles — the Clarity Electric and the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid — will launch. Both models will be underpinned by the same platform powering the Clarity FCEV, giving consumers three highly-efficient models to choose from.

“The Honda Clarity Series will provide customers with a well-equipped, premium, midsize vehicle with a range of ultra low-carbon powertrain options to suit their lifestyle needs,” said Mendel. “This Honda trio of dedicated, advanced technology vehicles, along with the expanded application of two- and three-motor hybrid systems to our core models, represents a strong commitment to Honda’s future and will help create a new volume pillar for electrified vehicle sales.”

The Clarity FCEV will go on sale in late 2016 with a targeted lease payment of under $500 per month. However, this model will be limited to select California markets in the Golden State, where an emerging hydrogen filling station network can be found.

Early in 2017 the Clarity battery-electric sedan will go on sale, with Honda stating it will be “the first affordable, midsize, five-passenger battery-electric vehicle.” Later in the year the Clarity PHEV will come to the market and be available in all 50 states.

2030 Electrification Initiative

Looking forward, Honda aims to have electrified vehicles account for two-thirds of its vehicle sales by 2030. That’s an ambitious goal, one possibly furthered by making hybrids available across more vehicle lines.

Happy Earth Day!


Recent — Tesla Model X Quality Woes Amplified

Photo courtesy of Honda Motors.

Filed Under: Automotive News Tagged With: 2017 cars, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, EARTH DAY, FUEL CELL VEHICLES, Honda Accord Hybrid, HONDA CLARITY, HONDA SENSING, HYBRIDS, PHEV

About the 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell Sedan

January 26, 2016 by admin 2 Comments

Honda’s next-generation fuel cell Clarity will launch by the end of the year in California. The five-passenger sedan will retail for about $60,000 and its targeted monthly lease cost should come in under $500. Honda announced its plans for the fuel cell vehicle at the Washington Auto Show last week just as a historic blizzard was bearing down on the area.

Honda is not new to the fuel cell market, having leased the FCX Clarity in Japan and southern California in limited numbers. Indeed, the company points to 1999 as the year its first prototype fuel cell vehicles the FCX-1 and FCX-2 were introduced. In subsequent years the automaker released updated prototypes as well as its first limited-production models.

2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell
The all-new Honda Clarity Fuel Cell.

Next-Generation Fuel Cell Vehicle

The new model appears vastly improved over the previous Honda FCX Clarity. Honda says it offers revamped packaging, expanded interior space, improved performance, and a driving range anticipated to top 300 miles. Furthermore, Honda estimates the Clarity’s refuel time will range between two and five minutes.

The platform underpinning the Honda Clarity will also support the automaker’s next-generation Honda plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), expected to launch in the US in 2018. Separately, a reengineered Accord Hybrid will go on sale this spring. Additional “green” products are also in the planning stages.

“The new Clarity Fuel Cell and Accord Hybrid arriving this year, along with the new plug-in hybrid coming by 2018, are critical steps toward a new generation of Honda advanced environmental vehicles and a true volume pillar for Honda and our product portfolio in the U.S.,” said John Mendel, executive vice president, Automobile Division, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “The Clarity Fuel Cell is a potential game changer because it offers an uncompromising, zero emissions customer experience, with performance, utility, range and refueling time on par with today’s gasoline-powered cars.”

California and an Expanding Fuel Cell Network

Making the Honda Clarity fuel cell sedan available in California only makes sense as the Golden State is the only area in the country where a hydrogen fuel station infrastructure is in development.

That infrastructure is composed of nine public stations with an additional 18 funded and expected to become operational in the next few years.

The state has an aggressive hydrogen transportation initiative in place with a goal to fund at least 100 hydrogen stations within the next eight years.

About the 2017 Honda Clarity

The new hydrogen model features several advancements, including a fuel cell stack that is 33 percent more compact than its predecessor as well as 60 percent denser. Comparable in size to a V-6 engine, the system now fits completely under the hood of the sedan, freeing up room in the cabin.

The Honda Clarity also offers a design closer in appearance to the current Accord sedan. The automaker opted for a low, wide aerodynamic body with clean character lines. LED exterior lighting and 18-inch aluminum wheels are also present.

Inside, the FCEV is marked by streamlined controls and makes ample use of higher end materials. A number of driver-assisted technologies are included such as Honda Sensing, representing a suite of safety and security attributes. Further, all Clarity models will be compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Hydrogen Refueling Station Network

As the Honda Clarity joins the Hyundai Tucson FCEV and Toyota Mirai FCEV already on the market, making these models available outside of California is a priority.

To that end, American Honda joined the public-private partnership H2USA in May 2013, what assembles car manufacturers, government agencies, hydrogen suppliers, and the hydrogen and fuel cell industries in an effort to synchronize research and pinpoint practical solutions to establish stations that can deliver economical, clean hydrogen fuel across the country.

In 2014, Honda invested $13.8 million in FirstElement Fuel in an effort to speed up that company’s infrastructure development in California. Moreover, the automaker has a long-term collaborative agreement with General Motors to jointly develop the next-generation of fuel cell systems and hydrogen storage technologies, with 2020 the goal for actualization.

See Also — Painless at the Pump: Falling Gas Prices Thrill Consumers

Photo courtesy of American Honda.

Filed Under: New Models, Special Tagged With: American Honda, CALIFORNIA, fuel cell, FUEL CELL STACK, HONDA CLARITY, HONDA FCX CLARITY, HYDROGEN FUEL, HYDROGEN FUEL STATION, PHEV

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