Honda isn’t having any trouble squeezing the most driving range from the most abundant element in the universe, even if Tesla’s Elon Musk has assessed claims for hydrogen fuel-cell cars as nothing more than ?bullsh*t.? The 2017 Honda Clarity boasts an EPA-estimated 366 miles on a single tank of pressurized hydrogen gas, more than any battery-electric vehicle can claim.
Only a couple of hundred Californians will be able to confirm Honda’s claims when this fender-skirted sedan goes on sale this winter for less than $500 per month, or $60,000. Honda is very picky about who can sign up for the Clarity: only those living or working within 10 miles of a hydrogen fueling station (the Bay Area and greater Los Angeles, essentially) will get the keys. By comparison, it’s easier to get into a Ford GT or a rent-controlled Manhattan apartment. As lab numbers go, the Clarity’s range bests that of the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai by 54 miles and the Tesla Model S P100D?the most powerful Tesla thus far, and until now, the longest-lasting EV?by 51 miles. The Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell comes in 101 miles behind. The new Clarity’s range is also well beyond that of the previous FCX Clarity’s 270-mile claim. That’s not really an apples-to-apples comparison, though, because the earlier model came before the EPA had standardized how it measures electric driving range for all EVs. In our own test with a 2009 Clarity, we could muster only 194 miles.
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