Honda has decided to discontinue its Clarity electric and hybrid vehicle line while it works with GM on more affordable EVs, so you may be wondering where to look for a similar replacement vehicle in the meantime. This list will look at what made the Clarity EV unique and find alternatives that meet or beat those qualities.
The Honda Clarity EV
Official Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid website.
Official Honda Clarity Fuel Cell website.
Pricing
The Clarity is a sedan that comes in two versions: a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and the fully electric Fuel Cell. The starting MSRP for the PHEV runs $33,400 for the Base trim and $36,600 for the Touring.
Fully electric engines are frequently pricier, and the cost of the Fuel Cell reflects that. The starting price jumps to $58,490 with no trim levels to bother researching.
Performance
The Fuel Cell version of the EV has a 174-hp hydrogen-based motor that can reach 60 mph in a little over 8 seconds. The MPG equivalent (MPGe) for the Fuel Cell model sits at 68 city and 67 highway, and you can go 360 miles on a single fill-up. If you’re not familiar, hydrogen engines use a fuel source that you can fill up about as quickly as you fill a gas tank.
The PHEV is much more sluggish despite more horses under the hood: 12.8 seconds in electric mode, and 9.5 seconds in hybrid mode. In full EV mode, the battery is only good for 48 miles, so you need to lean into the efficiency of the hybrid mode to drive any distance.
Safety
The Clarity comes with the Honda Sensing suite of driver-assistance features, which includes lane keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, and collision mitigating braking systems. Information can come through both the digital driver instrument panel and the central touchscreen.
Comfort and Infotainment
Aside from safety features and its engine, the Clarity has a suite of expected creature comforts for a modern car, like mobile device integration and an 8″ touchscreen display. A dual-zone climate division with automatic and remote control keeps everybody comfortable.
The Top 3 Vehicles like the Honda Clarity EV
2022 Honda Accord Hybrid
Official Honda Accord website.
Looking within the same manufacturer’s lineup brings us right to a worthwhile hybrid alternative. In nearly every way, the Accord Hybrid does what the Clarity PHEV does, but better.
The base trim is only $27,320 to start, and the sedan version’s fuel economy is higher at 48 MPGe city and 47 MPGe highway. Unlike the Clarity PHEV’s slow roll to speed, accelerating to 60 mph is a brisk 6.7 seconds.
The Accord is a very generic car from the exterior, always seeming to find a way to look like any other sedan. The Clarity is not much better, so it’s hard to hold that against the Accord.
Honda Sensing is included, just like in the Clarity, and there are modern niceties like a touchscreen and rear-view camera without venturing into the extremes of tech integration.
Related: 13 Cars Similar to the Honda Accord
2022 Toyota Camry Hybrid
Official Toyota Camry Hybrid website.
Getting away from Honda shows that the hybrid market is full of viable new models. The Camry’s hybrid version is right in line with the Accord’s pricing, but it pulls ahead on a couple key metrics. 51 MPG city and 53 MPG highway are decent improvements, if not enough to discredit the Accord.
The Camry does win off the line nearly every time. The 2.5L, 176-hp engine has enough kick to push it to 60 in only 5.2 seconds. Leaning into that acceleration will cut down on your fuel economy, but it feels great when you have the track space to really gun it.
Related: 9 Cars Similar to the Toyota Camry
2022 Nissan Leaf
Instead of getting another hybrid, there are more affordable EV options already out there. The Leaf starts at about the same price as the Honda Accord Hybrid, and the starting engine is faster at under 8 seconds to hit 60 mph. With a tax credit, the final cost could barely crest over $20,000 when all is said and done.
Even upgrading to the Plus model costs roughly the same as the Clarity PHEV, and the 0 to 60 time is cut by another second for the small jump. It’s not quite a sports car, but 7 seconds to 60 mph is still zippy.
For fuel economy, the MPGe is 123 in the city and 99 on the highway. The driving range can reach up to 226 miles depending on the battery and driving style. It can accept a 440V charger for a 40-minute charging cycle when you need to refuel over a lunch break. Charging over the work day can easily meet most driving needs.
The rest of the vehicle is as modern as its engine, too. There’s little not to love about the Leaf, so make it a first stop for a replacement for the Clarity Fuel Cell.
Other Vehicles Similar to the Honda Clarity EV
2022 Porsche Taycan
Official Porsche Taycan website.
EVs are quickly becoming shining stars of performance. While the Clarity EV is brisk enough for the road, the Taycan blurs to 60 mph in only 5.1 seconds with the basic model. The Turbo S ludicrously manages the same speed in only 2.6 seconds. You won’t find many faster cars out there, and more and more of them are using
The heftier price of an electric engine combines with the performance engineering for a much higher MSRP. The basic Taycan is over $82,000 to start, and the Turbo S is a whopping $185,000. You might consider the basic version as a pricier alternative to the Clarity EV on your shopping list.
2022 Honda e
This little hatchback is a supermini with superpowers. It’s nimble, light, and more in line with hybrid pricing than other EVs. The small driving range is a third of how far the Clarity Fuel Cell can travel, but it recharges on a quick charge system that makes it easy to stay topped off between stops.
Honda does not sell the hatchback in the United States due to concerns about how well it would do in the market, but they have already expressed an interest in reconsidering it. If you like the concept of the e, make sure to let them know.
2022 Kia EV6
The Kia EV6 is a crossover electric SUV that excels as a family vehicle. While cheaper than the Clarity Fuel Cell, the EV6 is more expensive at $40,900 for its starting MSRP. The value of each dollar goes much further, much faster.
A driving range of 232 to 310 miles can take care of a full day of errands before returning home to charge, so any intermittent charging more than handles the usage. A towing capacity of 2,300 pounds lets you bring along all the gear without having the bulk of a larger SUV to manage every day.
It is a little bit bigger, but it’s still built on a car frame with responsive handling, unlike larger SUVs. Despite the size, it’s faster than the basic Porsche Taycan, and the GT has a yet untested potential of 3.5 seconds for its time to hit 60 mph.
2022 Tesla Model 3
Official Tesla Model 3 website.
Tesla has had synonymity with electric vehicles since its inception. The rest of the manufacturers have caught up in many ways, but the company does have a decent mid-priced sedan in the Model 3.
It’s pricier than the rest of the alternatives, but the $46,990 starting MSRP is still less expensive than the Clarity Fuel Cell. Upgrading all the way to the Performance trim is only a few thousand higher. The Model 3 truly manifests in the performance version with a 3.1 second 0 to 60 time. A hefty range of up to 358 miles further helps its drivability.
2022 Toyota Mirai
Official Toyota Mirai website.
The Fuel Cell’s hydrogen-based engine is less popular than battery-powered EVs, but there are a few out there if the unique technology is what drew you to the Clarity. Performance is comparable, taking 9.1-seconds to reach 60. The quick refueling benefits of the hydrogen fuel cell are there, but so is the higher price with a starting MSRP of $49,500.
Everything you could want from a modern car is in the Mirai, like a futuristic digital instrument display and massive touchscreen display. With gas prices still competitive with hydrogen plus the higher starting cost, the cost of driving the Mirai is much higher than feels worth it.
2022 MINI SE Hardtop 2-Door
The flat roof of a MINI is iconic, and many car enthusiasts have serious opinions about its design – whether they love or hate it. Several MINI Coopers are available in the electric version, but here we’ll look at the 2-door version. It’s a tiny bit more expensive than the Leaf at $33,900 before modifications. It’s also slower, but 6.9 seconds to hit 60 is still nice.
While the length of the driving range can be overblown as an EV concern, the MINI’s 110 miles is low enough to cause concerns with a lengthy daily commute plus any errands. As long as chargers are accessible, it barely takes half an hour to fully charge the MINI with a 440V charging station. The four-hour charge time from 220V is enough to refuel before your lunch break.
2022 Toyota Prius Prime
Official Toyota Prius Prime website.
Toyota brought another hybrid competitor onto the battlefield with the Prius Prime. The $28,220 starting MSRP races with the pack, but it falls behind when you look at the 7.3 seconds it takes to hit 60. To be fair, it does kick into low speeds with a nice punch, but pushing past city speed limits strains its power more than the Camry or Accord.
It’s not a terrible hybrid, so don’t discount it if you find a great deal. Just don’t expect it to quite measure up to the top two hybrid selections.
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning
Official Ford F-150 Lightning website.
Even trucks are not safe from the encroachment of electrical engines. The F-150 Lightning is a four-door truck with a bit of stubby bed, but it won’t matter when you haul up to 7,700 pounds behind you. The tagline for the model seems like it would be a reference to its electrical engine, but it equally applies to its 4.5-second time reaching 60 mph.
A 230-mile driving range is decent, but it’s a bigger battery with lower MPGe than smaller vehicles at 68. Overnight charges at home will be essential to avoid visiting 440V charging stations every time you take a trip.
$39,974 for the lowest trim isn’t too bad of a jump for the hefty amount of power. You could expect to pay that much for a mid-sized SUV that’s slower with lower towing capacity, and it’s not much more than you would pay for the Touring version of the Clarity PHEV.
2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV
Official Chevrolet Bolt website.
The Chevy Bolt EV is a smaller, more affordable comparison to the Kia EV6. It’s not nearly as fast, but you still feel the zip of the electric engine getting you to 60 in 6.5 seconds. Chevy doesn’t rate it for towing, but you still get a bit more room in the cargo area compared to sedans.
The starting MSRP is $31,500 for a nearly 25% discount compared to the EV6. Both have their merits, but the Bolt’s affordability places it within reach of more consumers.
