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Honda Reveals U.S. Pricing and Sales Plans for the Clarity Fuel Cell

Expected to begin retail leasing to customers in particular California markets before the end of 2016, Honda’s new hydrogen-powered car is to be priced at around $60,000, with a targeted monthly lease under $500, the company revealed at the 2016 Washington D.C Auto Show.
Honda Clarity Fuel Cell 4 photos
Photo: Honda
Honda Clarity Fuel CellHonda Clarity Fuel CellHonda Clarity Fuel Cell
Deliveries will begin through certified fuel cell vehicle dealers in Los Angeles and Orange counties, the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento. In the first stages, the carmaker will only lease cars. After it increases vehicle supplies and a hydrogen refueling station network becomes available, Honda plans to move to retail sales with increased volumes and market coverage.

The all-new Clarity Fuel Cell is part of an expanding portfolio, including a revamped 2017 Accord Hybrid, available for purchase this spring, and a new Honda Plug-in Hybrid vehicle based on the same platform as the Clarity Fuel Cell, expected to be launched by 2018.

The new Clarity Fuel Cell comes with a lot of technological innovations, including a fuel cell stack that is 33 percent more compact than its predecessor and 60 percent more powerful than that on the outgoing Honda FCX Clarity. Resembling a V6 engine in size, the powertrain fits entirely under the hood of the car, allowing for a more spacious interior, which accommodates five passengers. The new Clarity Fuel Cell is expected to have a driving range of more than 300 miles (482 km), with an anticipated refueling time of around three to five minutes.

Additional features include the Honda Sensing suite of safety and driver assistive technologies, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, LED exterior lighting and 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels.

The new Clarity Fuel Cell and Accord Hybrid arriving this year, along with the new plug-in hybrid coming by 2018, are critical steps toward a new generation of Honda advanced environmental vehicles and a true volume pillar for Honda and our product portfolio in the U.S. The Clarity Fuel Cell is a potential game changer because it offers and uncompromising, zero emissions customer experience, with performance, utility, range and refueling time on par with today’s gasoline-powered cars,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of Automobile Division at American Honda Motor. Co., Inc.
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