Honda Kills Lone EV in the U.S.

Honda is saying goodbye to the Clarity Electric, its one and only EV in the United States.

The model was launched just three years ago to select states in the U.S. but it appears it failed to gain traction on the market, prompting the automaker to kill its lone entry in the up-and-coming segment.

It does not seem surprising, though, considering the Honda Clarity Electric only delivers 89 miles of range, significantly lower register than other mainstream electric vehicles that boast more than 200 miles on a single charge.

Some of these long-range EVs are the Chevrolet Bolt, Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Soul Electric, Kia Niro Electric, and the Nissan Leaf Plus. And even with models with average ranges such as the regular Nissan Leaf (150 miles), the Hyundai Ioniq Electric (170 miles), and the now-discontinued Volkswagen e-Golf (125 miles), Honda’s Clarity Electric still pales in comparison.

The Japanese automaker confirmed the Clarity Electric ended production late last year and is no longer available on the website. A representative of the company also said it plans to focus on the next generation of electrified products following the exit of the low-volume model.

“We will be introducing new, highly appealing all-electric vehicles for the U.S. market in the years ahead,” Honda said.

Despite the end of the Clarity Electric, however, the company continues to offer two other Clarity models in the U.S.—the fuel cell variant and plug-in hybrid. And considering the limited hydrogen infrastructure in America so far, the more practical option is the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid.

The plug-in hybrid offers 47 miles of all-electric range and hundreds more when the gas is used. Given that Chevy has also ended production of the Volt, the plug-in Clarity could make a case for itself to customers who are looking for more flexibility.

As for its future electrification plans, Honda has yet to release any information. But a report from Automotive News in 2019 claims the company is gearing up to launch a global electric platform that will underpin larger rear-wheel-drive models for the U.S. market. This architecture is reportedly set to arrive within the first half of the decade.