Honda Clarity Fuel Cell to Start "Around $60,000"
Automaker provides more info on its hydrogen car.
The Honda Clarity Fuel Cell will cost around $60,000, or a monthly lease price under $500, the automaker announced today. The Clarity rides on a platform that will also underpin an upcoming plug-in hybrid from Honda.
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Honda will start leasing the model in limited quantities at dealerships in Los Angeles County, Orange County, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Sacramento by the end of the year. As the infrastructure for hydrogen fueling grows, Honda will focus on retail sales and expand the Clarity to other markets.
Prices for the Clarity are about on par with the 2016 Toyota Mirai, which went on sale late last year. That model goes for $57,500, or $499 a month. Incidentally, the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell is also priced at $499 a month. Both of these competing vehicles help ease the transition to hydrogen by offering drivers free hydrogen fuel, so we'll have to wait to see if Honda offers the same deal.
Honda previously announced it would offer a new plug-in hybrid by 2018 to replace the "very low volume" Accord Plug-In. That model is still on track to launch by 2018, although we still don't know exactly what the model will be. In the more immediate future, Honda will launch a new Accord Hybrid this spring.
Source: Honda
When I tell people I write about cars, the most common reply I receive is “Really?” I guess I never strike people as a car type as I drive down the freeway in the right lane going 60 mph in my old SUV. My gripes about driving in city traffic and fast drivers don’t help my case, either. For a time, the only cars I liked were old cars. Not old as in "classic" or "vintage," but as in well-worn. My first appreciation of cars came when I drove a very old Ford pickup. It wasn't perfect: I used a booster seat to reach the gas pedal, and the turn signal once fell off in my hand as I was learning to drive. But the thing I valued most was the memories. It took several years for me to truly become a "car person." Being a long-time writer and an avid reader has helped me develop a healthy curiosity and a desire to know how things work. This has made cars one of the most fascinating points of study for me because they are such intricate machines. I am interested in how cars can reach 200 mph, how they can run on hydrogen, and how they can drive and park on their own. I also enjoy learning how cars can solve problems whether it be in the form of reducing pollution, minimizing traffic, or helping people stay connected on the road. Yes, maybe I’m not a gearhead. Perhaps I’m a car nerd. Either way, I very much enjoy writing about cars and helping people stay in tune with the automotive industry. I wouldn't want to be writing about anything else. And don’t get me wrong: I know how to drool over a hot car. I am fascinated by the Tesla Model S, awed by the Lamborghini Veneno, and am hopelessly obsessed with the Audi R8.
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