Honda kills the Clarity Electric vehicle as sedan sales continue to struggle
Published 4:05 p.m. UTC March 10, 2020
Honda has discontinued the Honda Clarity Electric vehicle, the automaker confirmed Monday.
The company will continue to sell the Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle and the Clarity plug-in hybrid.
But the battery-electric version of the sedan, which made its debut at the 2017 New York International Auto Show, failed to gain traction as Americans continue to gravitate toward larger vehicles.
The Clarity Electric joins the growing graveyard of sedans killed by automakers in recent years, including the Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus and Chrysler 200.
Production of the electric car ceased at the end of 2019, Honda spokesperson Natalie Kumaratne said in an email
While most major automakers have electric vehicles for sale or in the works, only Tesla has had considerable success in that segment.
Sales of all versions of the Clarity in the U.S. totaled 11,654 in 2019, down 42% from 2018.
“We’re continuously evolving our product portfolio, and right now, we’re placing more of our focus on the next generation of electrified products that are coming down the pipeline,” Kumaratne said. “We will be introducing new, highly appealing all-electric vehicles for the U.S. market in the years ahead.”
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