Moment Of Clarity: Honda You Forgot Exists, Will Soon Cease To Exist

If you know what the Honda Clarity is, pat yourself on the back because it appears most consumers had no idea it existed.

Introduced in 2015, the Clarity was an eco-friendly model that offered plug-in hybrid, electric and fuel cell powertrains. However, it flew under the radar as U.S. sales topped out at 20,174 units in 2018 and dropped to a dismal 4,215 units last year. The latter figure is so bad that the slow-selling Insight outsold the Clarity by nearly 4:1.

Given those numbers, it comes as little surprise that Honda is pulling the plug. In a statement, the automaker said “We are evolving our strategy with a focus on increased application of our two-motor hybrid system to core models in advance of the introduction of our first volume BEV models in 2024. Consistent with this strategy, Honda will conclude production of the Clarity Plug-in Hybrid and Clarity Fuel Cell in August 2021. This will ensure we have the Clarity Fuel Cell available for lease through 2022, and Honda will continue to support our Clarity customers in the marketplace.”

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Despite the model’s death, Honda said the Clarity “played a valuable role” in advancing their approach to electrification. The company also said they remain committed to fuel cell vehicles, which will “play a key role in our zero-emissions strategy.”

The news isn’t terribly surprising as the Clarity Electric was mercifully killed off last year. It was most notable for having some truly terrible specs including a tiny 25.5 kWh lithium-ion battery and an EPA range of just 89 miles (143 km). To make matters worse, the 2019 Clarity Electric stickered for $37,575 which made it $100 more expensive than the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt that offered 238 miles (383 km) of range.

In other dead Honda news, Nikkei is reporting the company has decided to cease production of the JDM Odyssey and Legend. The latter is somewhat surprising as the car was outfitted with a Level 3 semi-autonomous driving system earlier this year. However, it’s not a complete shock as the Acura RLX has already been put out to pasture.