Honda Clarity PHEV goes on sale in Japan

Japanese automobile major Honda has introduced a plug-in hybrid electric (PHE) version of its popular Clarity fuel-cell vehicle (FCV) on its home turf. The Honda Clarity PHEV has been introduced at a price tag of yen 5880600 (Rs 3,590,000).

The Clarity PHEV now boasts a dual motor hybrid system with an output of 181bhp, which comes coupled to a 1.5-litre Atkinson cycle i-VTEC petrol engine, which produces 103bhp of peak power. The combined power output of the hybrid system comes rated at 212bhp. With the two motors, the company has deployed its intelligent multi-mode drive (i-MMD) technology in the Clarity, and claims a pure electric driving range of up to 114.6km, homologated according to the world harmonised test cycles (WLTC) procedure.

The drivetrain includes an electric CVT and the Clarity PHEV can operate in three driving modes – pure electric, hybrid, or conventional engine driving mode – also being able to seamlessly shift from one to another, depending upon the battery charge and driving conditions.

The Honda Clarity PHEV gets a 17kWh Li-ion battery on-board and while in addition to a charge port for normal charging, it also features a charge port for fast charging and external power output, both as standard equipment. While it can be completely charged within two-and-a-half hours by a 240V fast charger, regular charging at 120V takes around 12 hours for the battery to get fully charged.

The Clarity PHEV can also supply electricity to external devices as well by connecting to a compatible external output device.

On the back-end, Honda is prepping for the sales of the car by installing a slew of fast chargers at Honda dealerships across Japan. Moreover, the company has also introduced the ‘Honda charging card service’, which will allow customers to use over 20,800 existing fast chargers installed on the Nippon Charge Service in the country.

While Honda aims to sell around 1,000 units of the car in its first year, it has a larger roadmap of electrifying around two-thirds of its overall global sales over the next decade by 2030. Hybrid versions of its Accord sedan, CR-V crossover and the Odyssey MPV are already on sale in the US, Japan, China and India.

In India, the company has adopted a wait-and-watch strategy and is keeping its options open with hybrid, full electrics or even fuel cells in the future, depending upon the development of the infrastructure in the country.

Also read: Honda Cars India prepares for multiple electric mobility scenarios in India

Honda to launch two new electric cars in 2018