2021 head-to-head · Midsize Car
2021 Honda Clarity vs Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid
MPG, range and what each one really costs you to fuel, from official EPA ratings and recalculated with your own gas and electricity prices.
FWD · Electric motor (130 kW) · Single-speed · 68 MPGe
FWD · 1.5L 4-cyl · CVT · 110 MPGe + 42 MPG
The 2021 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid is the cheaper one to run. Driving 15,000 miles a year with $36.00/kg hydrogen, 18¢/kWh electricity and $3.10/gal regular gas, it costs about $910 a year to fuel (110 MPGe + 42 MPG), versus $7,941 for the 2021 Honda Clarity (68 MPGe). That's roughly $7,032 a year, or about $35,158 over five years.
Your numbers
Change these to match your driving and local prices. Every figure and chart on this page updates.
Fuel cost over 10 years
- Honda Clarity
- Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid
Side by side
| Honda Clarity | Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid | |
|---|---|---|
| $7,941 | Your annual fuel cost | $910 |
| 68 MPGe | Combined efficiency | 110 MPGe + 42 MPG |
| 68 MPGe | City | 117 MPGe / 44 MPG |
| 67 MPGe | Highway | 102 MPGe / 40 MPG |
| — | Electricity use (kWh/100 mi) | 31 kWh |
| 360 mi | Driving range | 340 mi |
| — | All-electric range | 48 mi |
| 102 cu ft | Passenger volume | 102 cu ft |
| 16 cu ft | Cargo volume | 16 cu ft |
| 0 g/mi | Tailpipe CO₂ (g/mi) | 57 g/mi |
| 10/10 | EPA fuel economy score | 10/10 |
| 10/10 | EPA greenhouse gas score | 10/10 |
| — | Charge time at 240V | 2.2 hrs |
| Fuel cell | Powertrain | Plug-in hybrid |
| Hydrogen | Fuel | Regular gas + electricity |
| Electric motor (130 kW) | Engine / motor | 1.5L 4-cyl |
| Single-speed | Transmission | CVT |
| FWD | Drivetrain | FWD |
✓ marks the better value. EPA scores run 1–10 (10 is best). Volumes come from the EPA interior volume index and aren't published for every body style.
Honda Clarity vs Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid across model years
- Honda Clarity
- Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid
Annual fuel cost of the most efficient configuration of each model year, at your prices. Click a point to open that year.
How they differ
The Honda Clarity goes farther between stops: about 360 miles on a tank of hydrogen, compared with 340 miles for the Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid.
Among 54 2021 midsize cars, the Honda Clarity ranks 54th and the Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid 9th for lowest fuel cost.
The powertrains differ: the Honda Clarity is a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, while the Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid is a plug-in hybrid.
Frequently asked questions
Which is more fuel-efficient, the 2021 Honda Clarity or the 2021 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid?
Measured by cost to drive, the Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid. The Honda Clarity is rated 68 MPGe combined and the Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid 110 MPGe + 42 MPG (EPA, most efficient configuration of each).
How much does it cost to fuel the 2021 Honda Clarity vs. the Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid per year?
At 15,000 miles a year with $36.00/kg hydrogen, 18¢/kWh electricity and $3.10/gal regular gas, about $7,941 for the Honda Clarity and $910 for the Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid.
Which has more range?
The Honda Clarity: about 360 miles versus 340 miles.
Honda Clarity vs Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid in other years
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