Honda Clarity Hybrid and Hybrid Charge mode Is it too noisy? How long does it take?
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- Опубликовано: 25 июн 2019
- Hey everyone! One of my subscribers recently asked me about the noise level of running in Hybrid mode. Now this is not the way I typically drive the car (especially the Hybrid Charge mode), but I was curious.
So in this video I turn it on, talk about how noisy it actually is, and (perhaps most interesting) I talk about how long it actually takes to charge the batteries from the motor while driving. This is the "long-press" Hybrid mode that your dealer should have told you about ;)
So please have a look if you are interested, and please throw me a like or a subscribe if you feel I deserve it, and PLEASE PLEASE share with me your comments, questions, criticisms, and so forth! I welcome it all!
All the best! -Brad 
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This car is incredible! A little tip on long road trips: use sport mode when using adaptive cruise control, on flat roads. When I did this with a 2 block following distance the car will barely use any torque and will often charge itself from the regenerative braking when your lead car slows down. Drove from Columbia, SC to Claymont, DE (9 hour drive) and only fueled 3 times including the return trip! Can go two weeks without ever fueling at all and when I do the tank is small so I only end up spending about $12 - $20 x 2 a month. Just great stuff!
It really is isn't it! Feels like cheating it uses so little. Thanks for sharing the experience! May the car continue to treat you well! -Brad
The 2014 Accord Hybrid and PhEv was designed to charge using the ICE and deplete battery and repeat the process.
A ICE is most efficient under a load. When the throttle body is open and the air is flowing freely.
For a long trip, I would select charge mode on long downgrade, flat areas, or a slight incline. With the goal to charge the battery, while driving, then use the battery for the last 40 miles or so before the end of the trip. Assuming I have a charger at the stop.
I enjoy these videos. I am not looking for refined and rehearsed as noted by some who seem to think it's okay to criticize freely whilst hiding behind a computer screen. I am looking for real honest human experience with this car. I like the more human, less rehearsed/cue card, and friendly approach of these videos. I watched them all before I bought the Clarity, so I could decide if the car was something I wanted to purchase. They are SUPER helpful and now that I own one I will watch all of them again so I can commit to memory some of the little nuances about the car. Thank you for all of the valuable info!!!
Thank you S Ferry! You are sweet. I admit I could improve for sure (part of why I do it) but mostly I just want to share my experience! I make no money off this; I am just passionate about what this car is capable of! Thank you for watching and commenting. And PLEASE don't be shy if you want to know anything else about it! If I don't know I will find out! Best of luck with your car! -Brad
Have the Clarity for 3 years now and still love it. It is a great long range road trip car.
This feature is especially useful before going up a hill with no battery you can turn it on before going up the hill then turn it off when going up and use hybrid mode and it will help keep then engine noise down.
I've had a lot of positive reactions to my Clarity, especially surprising from folks who have been long-time conventional vehicle drivers. It is truly an amazing machine.
I do too actually! From folks who are getting as tired as I was with paying all that extra for maintenance as well. Frankly I cannot say enough good things about it! Thanks again for watching and for all the comments! I really appreciate you taking the time to do so! -Brad
Brad - the noises in your video all seem normal. Nick T posted a video that shows what we are experiencing. For me personally, it happens when my battery charge runs out and it switches over to gas, or if I didn’t charge the car and I leave in the morning. The noise only lasts for about 30-45 seconds, then everything is fine. It’s not a constant noise that you can refer to and it doesn’t happen again that day. It’s so loud that it sounds like the engine is going to blow up.
I have been happy with my Clarity so far. Driving all electric about 90% of the time.
Hey Ray! That's fantastic. I absolutely love that I hardly use the gas motor... Almost seems silly to drag it around with the car! :) I hope it continues to treat you well!
Loving my Clarity that I just brought home a month ago. FYI Honda is offering a $6k rebate to dealership till end of July. I used this info to get 7k off msrp! I have no idea why this car is not more marketed by Honda. It never appears in any commercials or marketing print that I have seen. Hidden gem.... for now. Much better value than a Tesla 3 which was also on my list.
Hey socalusc! Thanks for watching and commenting! I WISH I got a rebate (or even a tax credit!). But no matter; I still love the car and how little it costs to own! That for me is the biggest. It makes other cars look like dinosaurs as they line up for fuel...
And I agree! They should market it! When I researched before I bought I had to rely on videos and reviews rather than anything Honda could tell me. I knew more than the dealership I bought it from.
Thanks again for watching! And I hope yours treats you as well as mine treats me! -Brad
I have a mountain pass on the drive to one of the places I go once every few weeks. While climbing at highway speeds with battery fully drained, it gets pretty loud. If I know I am going there, I'll drive in HV mode on the way to save battery for the hill. It doesn't get so loud in HV mode if there is some power left in the battery.
Would you recommend any treatment of the suede finish interior areas to keep it fresh and new looking? Thanks for another helpful video!
Are you in ev mode when hv is not in use? Just bought a clarity and want to mostly use ev but I’m confused with the modes. Thanks for your video!
This is an Extraordinary video...I got answers to the only 2 questions i had abt this vehicle 1. How loud it gets on HV charge (Not loud at all) 2. Can i go with this car 2-3 days on long drives(300 miles plus) and never need to charge ...answer is a big YESS from what i hear ...Now i know cleary that the sound is not very loud when on HV or Hv charge mode .....and another awesome piece of info that it charges to abt 60% in abt 30-40 miles on HV charge mode is precious information....that gives me peace of mind of going on longer drives like abt 3-4 days away from home to a beach abt 300 miles away ( I hate to charge and wait at charge stations for 2 hours)....If i just hold down HV charge mode there is no need to visit charge stations for those 3-4 days when i am out of home.Thanks Brad for spending time on explaining all details. keep those video's coming! I feel Honda is not doing enough to promote this car the way i see it it is probably the best car available to buy on Honda lineup
Thank you Anurag! I am so glad it was helpful for you! And forgive me; I meant to call you out by name but I forgot to. And please let me know what else you might like to explore about the car! And best of luck!
I've never found a use case for HV Charge mode. I have turned on regular HV mode on the highway when I knew I would both run out of charge and hit slow traffic before reaching the next charging station. I usually would use HV mode when I'm down to 3 to 5 miles of EV range left in these situations. If I'm heading straight home (where I have a Level 2 charger) on mostly highway conditions, I will leave it in EV mode all the way to 0 miles EV range, to ensure that I use as little gas as possible. In my opinion HV Charge mode is always less efficient, because using gasoline to charge the battery to power the wheels is less efficient than directly burning gasoline to power the wheels or at least the drive motor.
Hey Sean! Frankly I agree; in my use I have never felt the need to charge while I drive. It goes against the logic of why we have PHEVs to begin with. Just for the case I mention i.e. some benefit upon arrival such as no toll in a city if EV, etc. I have not encountered that myself however. Thanks again for watching and commenting! -Brad
It was very noisy, I got scared for a second when I first turned on the charge mode.
It can be if you're not expecting it. Having a motor that does whatever it wants vs. one that is under control of your right foot takes a little getting used to. In my 38 000km though it has hardly been a concern. I hope your experience is as good as mine! Thank you for watching and commenting! -Brad
I'm on Day 3 of owning a new Clarity -- this is definitely the most interesting, functionally intelligent and fun car to drive that I've ever owned. So happy I was able to get one since they are scarce on the East Coast. I use HV mode on longer trips just so I can use up the gas so it doesn't sit in the tank for more than 2 months.
Since all my driving is local, the battery is more than enough and I would virtually never need the gas. So, to cycle the gas out and keep it fresh, I use HV mode on those longer drives. I do admit it does sound noisy in HV mode, but I absolutely don't care given all the fantastic functionality and plus the incredibly great interior and ride quality. This car is large and a pleasure to drive!
Just got a clarity a couple days ago. I’m confused on what mode to use. I drive 64 miles one way to work . And I can charge it during work. What mode will be best to commute?
@@Albert-xc4ee I'll share from my own experience. There's actually no right or wrong. _You_ get to choose based on your daily driving requirements and whether you want to go easy on the battery or go easy on the motor over the life of the car.
ONE important consideration as far as efficiency is concerned is that the car is designed to be more efficient using fuel for the highway, and using the battery for local driving.
If you don't care about efficiency or costs to run it, then see my first paragraph: WHICH part of the car's mechanics do you want to be most sparing with over the life of the car?
i.e. Do you want to promote the longevity of the ICE or the life of the battery? How many miles you put on each will determine that.
The battery gets used up very quickly on the highway when driving electric only, which will lead to more recharges of the battery over the life of the car, reducing its useful life.
I personally want to avoid that to extend the battery life, so I switch to hybrid mode as soon as I get on the highway, and -- if I were you -- I would take advantage of free battery charging at work since some battery gets used up in hybrid mode anyway.
By using electric mode for *_local_* driving only, you also get more and more electric miles from the battery, as it adjusts the perceived capacity based upon how you are using up each charge over time.
For example, by using the battery only for local driving, I can get 50-60 local miles out of a single charge on my battery.
But, if I use the battery at high speeds on the highway, I might only get 40 miles from a charge.
I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any more "owner experience" type questions.
I think this car is fantastic, by the way. Wonderful choice....!
@@avecrux333 Thank you. I do have one more question . Which mode is what? Econ , sport, HV. My understanding is Econ is full electric , sport is hybrid gas/electric & HV is gas only.
@@Albert-xc4ee Actually, no...
Econ mode stays on for Electric _and_ Hybrid if you want the car computer to utilize fuel and battery most efficiently.
I keep it on all the time and the car runs great...lots of power even in Econ mode.
Sports mode just adjusts *_when_* the ICE kicks in when you accelerate for extra boost. I never use it as I don't like gunning the car unless necessary. This was a huge investment so you can be sure I'm going to treat my car nicely to get a lot of years out of it. 😉
@@Albert-xc4ee Also...
To clarify, the car will always start and remain in full electric unless you press the HV button. Then it switches to a combination of fuel and Battery.
If you LONG press the HV button the car will switch to HV Charge mode and start charging the battery if it's at less than 60%.
The only time you're in hybrid mode is when you press HV and that's the only time the car uses Fuel. In that mode the car will balance Fuel and battery for the greatest possible efficiency.
There's no way to drive the car on fuel only.
I use HV charge mode on the highway with long trips if I know I'm not going to be able to charge at my destination.
For long drives. I wonder if it would be more efficient to deplete, hv charge until max, then EV mode to deplete. Repeat as needed instead of hv mode. I believe the 2014 accord plug in would self operate much like what i described.
I'm curious myself actually! I just did a long trip where I charged before heading out but wasn't able to on the way back. Still got epic efficiency but I'm always looking for ways to do better! I'll have to try it! Thanks for watching! -Brad
I'm sure I'm not the only one who noticed you went 8.5KM and the battery charge didn't change. This is similar to mine. It costs $2.10 (US) for me to charge my Clarity at home. A full charge is about the same as a gallon of gas (50 miles). I empty the battery twice per day.
I did too! Good catch. And think of the maintenance you are avoiding running on EV! That is half the battle for me. My previous cars have been ridiculous for maintenance and unscheduled repairs. I'll never go back if I can avoid it... Best of luck with yours! And thanks for the comment! -Brad
At the moment I can’t even charge at home so like I have to have it on charge mode when I go down the hill on the freeway for work so that sucks I kind of mainly use gas and electricity is like kind of a luxury which sucks because I always want to drive electric but I can never charge at home because of family issues
Tell your family you are trying to save the planet which is the Mother to all of us that we breathe every day.
The "Range" display says 1569km. What does it represent?
Hey Mike. That was pre-recall. It was always hilariously optimistic before that... Post-recall it is much more accurate. Thanks for watching! -Brad
IF ONLY Honda would add. the Birds Eye / Surround Vision. And the rear view CAMERA . These two features are a must. The majority of Car manufacturers are putting them in .
call it a safety factor but I won’t give up my current plug-in Hybrid with the above features until Honda adds those features.
I feel like civilization is getting a little too spoiled by every single little tiny feature. The less cameras and sensors that go bad after 10 years of usage, the better.
One concern I have before I purchase a Clarity is what kind of repair shop will work on the Clarity after the warranty, certainly not the stealership!?
Hey Ricardo,
Yeah a fallback is the dealer (though not all techs will be trained on it, nor will all dealerships support them in general).
But to be honest the majority of the maintenance and repair will be on typical things like brakes, suspension bits perhaps, oil changes. The electric motor should be maintenance free for the most part. And other than that I myself won't shy away from doing brakes/suspension/etc. at home. Although that rear suspension looks complex. Lotta bushings under there...
All the best either way! And thank you for watching and commenting! -Brad
Why is brake hold on?
If I was going to take this on a trip of about 1000 kms, what would be the best mode to put it in? Hybrid? What would the approximate range be before I needed fuel? This would be using all the comforts like heat/AC phone chargers, etc.
Hi S. Ferry! Depends on how fast you drive but you should get at least 70km or so on batteries. In my opinion the most >efficient< way is to use up all of the batteries first. If you use the motor to charge the car that is inefficient compared to plugging it in (it generates wasted heat energy among others). FYI I average about 5-6 cents per km in hybrid and under 2 cents per km in EV. Good luck! Keep track of it and let me know if you could! And thank you for watching and commenting! -Brad
Thanks Brad. I am in the process of purchasing a 2019 Clarity. I just closed the deal today! I will update when I have owned it for a bit!
Congratulations! Honestly I love mine. I have ~30 000km on it and it has cost me so little to own. Let me know if you need any advice on winter tires too when the time comes! I had a few quirks I had to deal with when I bought them for mine. All the best! And thank you again for watching! -Brad
@@BradOnCars Hi Brad! By curiosity, what winter tires did you buy?
@@benpaq14 Hey benpaq14! I'd have to check to be sure, but they are Michelin x-ices as I recall. And I had to get 18"s because the 17" rims I tried (from an Acura TSX) would not clear the rear suspension arms.
I only have one question. How did you get the compass in your dashboard
Hey Nick! On the Touring model the dashboard Nav option is in the "info" menu on the left steering wheel controls. Does yours have Nav? I can do a quick video of how to get it. Thanks for watching! -Brad
@@BradOnCars I don't have the navigation. Mine isn't the touring model. I wish i could have the compass that's kind cool
A little off topic. What mode have you found the car to be most efficient in in terms of mpg when it uses the gas?
That's a good question. I haven't explored that as much (I drive EV as much as I possibly can), but HV and ECON both would likely be the most efficient. Push both and give it a try! I will as well on my next commute! Thank you for your question! And thank you for watching! -Brad
@@BradOnCars I suspect econ mode will be most efficient, even more than normal mode. I believe HV and hv charge modes are the least efficient modes, with HV charge being the least efficient.
@@MiteshDamania Oh for sure. If you don't actually push the HV button (short press) the gas motor won't actually stay on though. My preference for sure (I use batteries first). But if you are talking about the best economy >and< you want the motor running then you need to push HV. Frankly if you just leave it in ECON it will do its best in all cases, generally-speaking. Thanks for watching and commenting! I really appreciate it Mitesh! -Brad
@@BradOnCars I believe econ will win over HV in mpg. Please test 100 miles on the freeway in both modes.
Hey Mitesh! Will do!
Just got a clarity a couple days ago. I’m confused on what mode to use. I drive 64 miles one way to work . And I can charge it during work. What mode will be best to commute?
Where did you get it? It is supposed to be only available in California
@@tomaszcander2862 California
Hey Albert! Honestly I would drive EV as much as possible since you can charge at work. Then you will minimize how much ICE you need to use IMO. That works best for me typically. Let me know how you like the car! -Brad
Best car ever.
Your range is showing 1,570 km. I understand the 2018's had 3 or 4 software updates required. It it safe to assume your car needs an update?
Ha! Indeed it did! I got three updates when I took it in for its “brake inspection” late last year.
@Brad On Cars I was wondering the same, I assume after the updates your range is just a few hundred kms? I have a 2018 and my car range maxes around 300-400 miles
why was your brake hold light on? mine only comes on when im stopped but yours was on while driving
The one light is on all the time if I have Brake Hold on. When the car stops the second green light comes on to indicate that. I'm not near my car at the moment or I would demonstrate. Soon! Thank you for watching and commenting! -Brad
@@BradOnCars ok. Mine only comes on when I push the button. I thought you were driving down the road with your brakes on
@@sillygoose4176 Ha! That's a funny difference!
I test drove a mostly discharged 2018 Clarity two years ago. The car was brand new on the dealership lot. I thought the engine noise was a bit noticeable.
Fast forward to this week, I’m driving the 2020 Clarity Touring which is my current vehicle. A week with me and it’s still practically new with only 300 miles on the odometer and I honestly don’t notice the engine noise to the extent I recall from the test drive of the 2018 version. Maybe Honda added some more sound insulation for 2020? In any case I really couldn’t easily discern the gasoline engine kicking on during an extended highway journey.
As Brad does, I too have been driving it mostly on EV mode and fully charging the batteries each evening at home in the garage. I love this entree into EV ownership. Ok for sure it’s a PHEV and not an EV but it is great!
no single bar added in electrical battery meter
Totally! Takes more than the few minutes I kept talking :P Didn't want to continue to bore people! I can share the picture of how much fuel, how many km, and how much charge the car actually can take in that mode if you like!
@@BradOnCars its was only my observation, well understand You don't like boring viewers.
All good bud! Thank you for your continued support!
we have one 2018 model, seems OK as a car altho it's smarter than we are. only put gas in it once since May except for out a town runs.
However, twice while at speed on highway it loses power and nearly stops ????? I haven't been in it when this happens so I don't know what this is. I do know Honda here @ 89121 can't find any codes or cause.......Me not happy ( mechanic 55 years more or less....Anyone have this happen ?
Hey "Old Dog!" That is too bad! I myself have never had that happen to me. This thing is still every bit as trustworthy as the day I brought it home.
I'll do some digging to see if anyone else has had such an issue; also if it happens to me I will report back! Good luck with it! And thank you for watching and commenting! -Brad
We’re u using your cruise control at the time, I have had a few events like this and have satisfied myself that it collision system being overwelmed by something it thought maybe a threat ,and applying the brakes which makes it feel as you’ve described, i found that I always had full control of the car including the accelerator, so always pay attention, if you are, you’ll just takeover from autopilot immediately and after a shake of your head get back to your driving.
I have a 2018 model and I have experienced the loss of power quite a few times. It occurs mostly after making a u-turn. I will have the dealer check it when I need servicing.
Just happened to me. Engine revving but felt like the transmission was slipping. I was in Econ Mode and battery had no bars. If it happens again, I will try Sport Mode or Hv mode to charge the battery while running and keep a few bars on the battery.
Range of 1574km on 3/4 tank of gas and 1/2 battery... I don't think so.
Totally. I have to take it in for the recall to readjust the range calculation ;) So funny hey.
@@BradOnCars I own a 2018 Clarity, btw. Not just a random person. Luckily, it looks like ours is fully(?) updated, (knock on wood...)
@@drmcallis That's cool! I do appreciate hearing other owners' experiences. I swear I have the only one in the city I live in!
How many miles on yours? I hope it has treated you as well as mine has treated me.
@@BradOnCars Ours has just a little less than 7k miles so is due for the first A1 service. We are debating just having the tires rotated and resetting the code. Seems silly and wasteful to change the oil when it only has 1200 miles (if that) on it.
We also own a Ford Fusion energi PHEV and it has a sensor to detect when the oil actually NEEDS changing. Honda should have done the same, in my opinion, instead of just adhering to the 6000 mile oil change on an engine which has done a fraction of that. Our clarity is driven 90+% of the time in EV mode , so the engine is hardly ever used...
@@drmcallis I totally agree. That is, I simply reset the code and change the oil when I figure it is due. I have driven 30 000km with only about 7500km on ICE, so the fact that I have done two oil changes (myself, btw) still seems ridiculous. And to pay someone to change perfectly good oil and then charge me for it seems absurd! My .02 is to check the oil periodically and if a) it is getting darker and b) you actually use the ICE for an extended time then perhaps consider doing it. The other codes (tire rotation and brake check) are also a bit ridiculous. I swap my tires from winter to summer and back, and I check the brakes when I do so. Plus the pads are clearly fine given the car is so new.
Brad, a few suggestions: 1) When driving and recording the sound of the engine for your audience to hear, STOP TALKING CONTINUOUSLY and allow the microphone to pick up just the sounds of the car driving, 2) Drive at freeway speeds of 100 to 120 km/h or more, 3) stop saying "uh" and "ummm" every third word, and lastly 4) keep audience viewer thank yous and requests for subscribers to an absolute minimum--it comes across as way too much wasted time... You provide great info, but your videos are barely watchable because of the constant uhs and ums, thank yous for watching and so on. Watch Alex on Autos for an example of excellent, concise and to the point presentation.
ummm totally ummm agree ummm uhh