Is the Honda Clarity EV actually available anywhere?

[Vinc]

Hi there!

I am looking for an inexpensive EV lease further down the road in case we need a second car in addition to the M3. The Honda Clarity EV looks very interesting, short range and all, at $199/month with very little down. The fun part is finding a dealer who wants to get you into one.

I have approached two different dealers. One told me that the last Clarity EV they got was over a year ago. There is a reservation list but it is not guaranteed that another car will ever arrive (the 2018 model is sold out and only 600 units will be produced of the 2019 one), the other Honda dealer did not officially say that the car is not available, but took my info and keeps contacting me to let me know that my Clarity Plug-in Hybrid (not what I want) is "available for you!".

All of this while I still see banners advertising the Clarity EV on this very page and others.

Anybody has any experience leasing a Clarity EV? I have seen them around, I know it can be done!

 

[miimura]

This is typical Honda compliance behavior that started with the Fit EV. When Honda first released the Fit EV, they came up with an initial lease price that was too high. There were few takers. Then they revamped it by dropping the price way down and included collision insurance. At that point it was too attractive and the waiting lists were out of control and unpredictable. IMHO, the Clarity EV lease price is too low given their supply. I don't understand why Honda does this. They could lose slightly less money by slowly adjusting the lease price to match the market and gradually find customers that are willing to pay the current price.

 

[gregd]

"Bait & Switch" tactic, perhaps? If they are advertising something that can't actually be purchased, I'd think that would apply.

 

[EV-lutioin]

You can get a used 2015 Leaf with similar range for well under $10k. They are a dime a dozen in CA.

 

[Vinc]

Literally, on the top of the page as I am writing this, I have the banner advertising the Clarity EV. Yes, it is probably a mix of greenwashing, bad planning and bare minimum compliance.

The Leaf option is not a bad idea, although for a number of reasons leasing is a better alternative for me.

I will update if by any chance I end up getting my hands on this mythical vehicle...

 

[Vinc]

Quick update. Just got a call from one of the Honda dealers. And, unlike the last 10 calls, it is not a new salesperson not knowing the difference between Clarity Hybrid and EV. Somebody might have actually found a Clarity EV in the back of the factory somewhere...

 

[Vinc]

Quick update to the update. These are the terms:

-They might be getting one Clarity EV a month. No option to pick color, you get what they have and you will like it.

-No reservations in advance. If you need the car a couple of months from now, you have to get lucky that they do get a car by then, and that they don't happen to lease it to somebody else. Don't call us, we will call you kind of attitude.

-No looking at the car beforehand. The cars only get delivered to the dealer once the buyer signs the papers. Which of course also means...

-No test-drives. You can only "test drive" the car if you are the buyer and have already provided the downpayment.

Sooo... Feel free to cut and paste the above when people complain about the reservation process for the Model 3.

 

[EV-lutioin]

Quick update to the update. These are the terms:

-They might be getting one Clarity EV a month. No option to pick color, you get what they have and you will like it.

-No reservations in advance. If you need the car a couple of months from now, you have to get lucky that they do get a car by then, and that they don't happen to lease it to somebody else. Don't call us, we will call you kind of attitude.

-No looking at the car beforehand. The cars only get delivered to the dealer once the buyer signs the papers. Which of course also means...

-No test-drives. You can only "test drive" the car if you are the buyer and have already provided the downpayment.

Sooo... Feel free to cut and paste the above when people complain about the reservation process for the Model 3.

It sounds like Honda is living in the Dark Ages... I wonder, do they still have one of these in the showroom?

 

[jelloslug]

Quick update to the update. These are the terms:

-They might be getting one Clarity EV a month. No option to pick color, you get what they have and you will like it.

-No reservations in advance. If you need the car a couple of months from now, you have to get lucky that they do get a car by then, and that they don't happen to lease it to somebody else. Don't call us, we will call you kind of attitude.

-No looking at the car beforehand. The cars only get delivered to the dealer once the buyer signs the papers. Which of course also means...

-No test-drives. You can only "test drive" the car if you are the buyer and have already provided the downpayment.

Sooo... Feel free to cut and paste the above when people complain about the reservation process for the Model 3.

Is this how the "established car manufacturers" are going to beat out Tesla at the EV game?

 

[miimura]

Is this how the "established car manufacturers" are going to beat out Tesla at the EV game?

They don't care about the "EV Game". They are playing a big picture money game. EVs are just a checkbox they have to deal with so they can keep selling the rest of their ICE cars.

 

[Vinc]

Another update. After 6 months, I get an unexpected call from the Honda dealer. They have another Clarity EV available.

At this point, I already got a used MS, but might still need a second car. I tell them that I will stop by a soon as I leave my office, in about 3 hours.

Two hours after that, they leave me a message. The car is already gone. I call back and ask if anything else is coming. Not likely, but who knows.

So, for anybody who complains about the ordering process of a M3, please try the Soviet inspired model that Honda has in place for the Clarity EV.

 

[moobutma]

Didn't realize honda clarity ev's are hard to find. Got mine a year ago over at galpin honda mission hill because I wanted the steel color. I see that norm reeves has 6 in stock?

 

[Vinc]

Didn't realize honda clarity ev's are hard to find. Got mine a year ago over at galpin honda mission hill because I wanted the steel color. I see that norm reeves has 6 in stock?

Pure EV or plug-in? Maybe they don’t like me for some reason I have checked with a number of dealers in the LA area. It seems that Honda Mission Hill has the plug-in version, not EV. Sometimes they even list them as EV when it is actually the hybrid. They seem to have a really hard time telling them apart... I have left a message with Norm Reeves but I am sure they only have plug-ins. They list a sale price on their site and the pure EV is only available for lease...

 

[miimura]

Even Cars.com does not list the Clarity Electric and Clarity Fuel Cell as available models in their online inventories.

 

[spentan]

Charge!!!

Check this website out for Lease Deals, obviously www.leasehackr.com forum also good.

Lots of great deals, Wouldn't go with Honda Clarity EV, though I've driven the PHEV Clarity, I think there are better options out there, just my $0.02

 

[Vinc]

Charge!!!

Check this website out for Lease Deals, obviously www.leasehackr.com forum also good.

Lots of great deals, Wouldn't go with Honda Clarity EV, though I've driven the PHEV Clarity, I think there are better options out there, just my $0.02

Thanks! Very helpful. And you are very right. At this point this whole Clarity quest is almost for personal amusement.

I see that norm reeves has 6 in stock?

Got a message back from them. And I quote:

“I font handle ev. Only plug ins”

 

[Vinc]

Great news for EVs, it seems that they have leased all 6 cars in less than an hour. Talk about a Tesla killer!

 

[scottf200]

PHEV is in the top 5 tho. There are selling a fair number of those. Must be a reason as the BEV would give them more ZEV credits ... but then again they don't have 200K trucks/SUVs to sell like Ford & GM.

Monthly Plug-In EV Sales Scorecard

...

 

[moobutma]

Wow. it does seem like a mythical quest! Dealers need to know their inventory...

 

[cwerdna]

(Thread resurrection)
I noticed it's not longer at Honda Clarity Series | Honda. They only list the PHEV and FCEV versions at the moment.