The 2018 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell has gone on sale at
a handful of dealerships in California. Set to be sold alongside the Clarity
Plug-in Hybrid and Clarity Electric, the Clarity FCV has a polymer electrolyte
fuel cell and an electric motor that develops 174 hp and 299 Nm of torque. The model also has a fuel tank which holds 5.46 kg of hydrogen and this enables the car to travel 589 km between fill
ups.
The Clarity FCV will be available as part of a 36
month lease for US$ 369 per month with US$ 2,868 down. The lease includes up to US$ 15,000 worth of hydrogen fuel and an annual mileage allotment of 20,000 miles
(32,186 km). Since hydrogen refueling stations aren’t very common, Honda is also
throwing in 21 days worth of access to a luxury vehicle from Avis.
The model will be available through 12 Californian
dealerships which are concentrated around Los Angeles, San Francisco and
Sacramento. Honda hinted additional dealerships could be added in the future as
new hydrogen fueling stations are built. While the fuel cell powertrain has
some drawbacks, the Clarity Fuel Cell comes nicely equipped with LED lighting
units, rain-sensing wipers and 18-inch alloy wheels.
Moving into the cabin, drivers will find perforated
leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and heated front seats.
The model also comes equipped with a dual-zone automatic climate control
system, a head-up display, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and a premium audio
system with 12-speakers and a subwoofer. There’s also an 8-inch infotainment
system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility.
On the safety front, there’s an assortment of driver
assistance systems including forward collision warning, lane departure warning
and a collision mitigation system. Other features include adaptive cruise
control with low-speed follow and lane keeping assist.
