The Honda Clarity has been recently debuted at its Tokyo Headquarters, and the automaker means to sell the units to companies and government agencies as part of an experimental phase. This would be the phase one of the automaker’s plans in gauging the reaction of various municipalities in the local area. After 18-months after the start of their experimental tests, the Japanese car manufacturer intends to scale the Clarity if it would be fit for mass production and public consumption once more.
The Honda Clarity Will be Tested for Mass Production and Public Consumption After Phase One of Testing Has Been Completed
The term “once more” has been coined because many have seen the story pertaining to the Honda Clarity in the past. The Japanese automaker has been known to push FCVs or Fuel Cell Vehicles in the past, and the Clarity is merely an off-shoot after a decades-long project. This project goes way back to the original FCX-V1 variant which launched more than a decade ago in 1999. The firm planned to sell hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to the masses.
In fact, the idea can go further back to the year 1978. This was when known actor Jack Nicholson was trying to sell the idea of FCVs to the public with the use of financial assistances and public appearances to a number of researchers in California. However, even though it was made to have a “green” appeal, there were a lot of concerns pertaining to the project, especially when it comes to cost-benefit analysis towards safety and environmental concerns.
In order to sell properly to customers, the idea of the Honda Clarity as an FCV needs to demonstrate fuel economy that can either match or outperform its many rivals. It has to have better fuel economy than other non-FCV automobiles, as well as other comparable hydrogen models such as the Toyota Mirai or the Hyundai Tucson. Furthermore, it should also have efficiency that is similar or above some of its competitors such as the Tesla Model S or the Toyota Prius. Ultimately, the Clarity fails on several aspects and it falls short of its competitors right out of the bat.
Unfortunately, the Honda Clarity is either being misguided or it has been perceived that it would be a market favorite after more than a decade hiding in the shadows. However, it is still executing poorly and many would back away from it immediately right after reading the hardware specs and features from paper.