The new Clarity Electric shares its Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure and its suite of Honda Sensing® safety and driver-assistive technologies with the Clarity Plug-in Hybrid and Clarity Fuel Cell.
Advanced Structural Safety
A special steel unibody structure with a 2-system load path structure allows the Clarity Electric to efficiently absorb front, side and rear crash energy, distributing crash loads through the structure while helping to retain the integrity of the passenger cabin. The batteries are positioned in protective spaces under the passenger and cargo floors to enhance collision safety performance.
Additional design highlights include:
- Articulated Front Subframe – The rear portion of the front subframe is designed to articulate down and rearward in a frontal collision to help isolate the electric motor and steering assemblies from the passenger cabin.
- Side Impact Protection – The Clarity Electric’s complete B-pillar, floor cross-member, and roof cross-member form a robust structure that efficiently distributes and absorbs collision energy.
- Energy-Absorbing Rear Subframe – The rear subframe compresses in a rear collision, assisting the Clarity Electric body structure in efficiently distributing collision energy.
Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) Body Structure
The Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body-structure enhances occupant protection and crash compatibility in frontal collisions by distributing crash energy more evenly throughout the front of the vehicle.
Driver-Side Knee Airbag
The Clarity Electric’s driver-side knee airbag helps control the forward motion of the driver in the event of a frontal collision, helping better position the driver for the frontal airbag and seatbelt. The knee airbag is positioned beneath a panel on the underside of the instrument panel.
Honda Sensing®
The Clarity Electric features the following suite of Honda Sensing® safety and driver assistive features:
- Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) – A millimeter wave radar unit and monocular camera scan traffic conditions ahead, and the system alerts the driver to take corrective actions to avoid a detected vehicle. CMBS can also apply automatic emergency braking action.
- Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) – Uses a monocular camera to identify lane lines and reflective markers, and then uses the Electric Power Steering (EPS) or Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) to help the Clarity Electric stay in its lane, or applies the brakes to help keep the vehicle from departing the roadway
- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low Speed Follow – Allows the driver to set a desired speed and following interval from a vehicle detected ahead, allowing the use of cruise control in light traffic conditions.
- Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) – Uses a camera to read lane markings and the Electric Power Steering (EPS) to assist the driver in maintaining position within the lane. This provides a less stressful driving experience by reducing steering correction movements.
In addition, standard Honda LaneWatch™ utilizes a camera located below the passenger-side exterior mirror to display a wide-angle view of the roadway on the touchscreen when the right turn signal is activated or a button on the end of the turn signal stalk is pressed. And a multi-angle rearview camera, viewable on the touchscreen, can show a top view, normal or wide view when the transmission is in Reverse. To help the driver better judge distances, dynamic guidelines project the vehicle’s future path based on the driver’s steering inputs.