Honda Motor Co. plans to broaden the Clarity nameplate to two more alternative-fuel vehicles, considering that green cars building is a priority direction in its future activity.
The Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell hatchback set to go on sale late this year will be followed by an all-electric Clarity next year. A third model, a Clarity plug-in hybrid, will be launched later in 2017. The three Clarity models will all share the same front-wheel-drive platform and five-seat, hatchback layout. Styling between the versions will vary slightly. Honda expects the Clarity plug-in hybrid to become the volume seller among the three models.
The Clarity fuel cell will only be available at launch in California, which has a small but growing network of hydrogen filling stations. Honda's hydrogen-fueled Clarity will be able to go about 300 miles between refills, and should cost about $500 per month to lease or $60,000 to buy. Honda also specifies that the number of hydrogen stations in California is expected to grow to 100 stations by the end of the decade.
Honda is bullish enough about the car’s prospects to predict that it would more than double its previous annual sales record of nearly 14,000 vehicles in the U.S. It is set to go on sale later this spring. Improved manufacturing and a better supply of hybrid components should improve the availability of Honda's hybrid cars.
