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3 Posts
Looking forward to learning from this group about my new car! My commute to my office is 30+ miles each way with combo of highway and mostly country roads. So will be experimenting with various drive modes next week,
Hi, picking up my new Clarity PHEV on Saturday
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I think you will be quite happy with the Clarity PHEV. I have been getting about 50-60 mile all electric range during the hot summer in St. Louis. One thing that helps is following (not too closely!) and truck or big SUV to get a little less wind resistance. I also make sure to use the paddles to slow down and when stopping at a light, start stopping early with a light touch. Hitting the brake hard will use the brake pads on generate less charge. Also realize that on a full charge, the braking cannot charge because the battery is already full.
For me, this was clearly the ideal car. The only one with this range and also a gas engine is the Chevy Volt which has much less room inside, in trunk, and much less nice interior.
For me, this was clearly the ideal car. The only one with this range and also a gas engine is the Chevy Volt which has much less room inside, in trunk, and much less nice interior.
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3 Posts
Hi Greenmode. I looked at the Prius Prime and and the Kia Optima PHEV. Also thought about the BMV and Benz PHEVs for more creature comforts, but none had the range of the Clarity and I was happiest with this. Now, the real competition for me was the Tesla Model 3, as I traded in my 2013 Model S. But, I had more disposable income five years ago when I got that car. I just couldn't justify the $30-$35K more for the Model 3, and the Clarity is a really nice car, even though I know they really aren't usually compared!
Smart move and reading into what's going on at the Tesla production plant I won't be surprised if there are build quality issues. Tesla has been doing a lot of unconventional things that most well established car makers would shy away from.
Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new car! Not often do we see people downgrading from a Tesla, but I have a feeling that's going to become more common with so many solid alternatives hitting the market. Unfortunately I think its going to take a long time before they are able to produce the entry level model 3, which would stand a far better chance of competing with these cheaper rivals.
So james what have you figured out about the various driving modes? I am almost always on Econ mode for commuting to work (only 12 miles away) so it works out great. But on the weekends I inevitably end up going way more than my current charge will allow on all EV range. I am wondering what you found in your exploration?
Tesla will be losing the race more and more as well established brands come out with their rival products. BMW will be a big player that can in some segments rival the Clarity. At that point it will be a hard choice for the masses that are swayed by premium brands.
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