Low demand drives Honda Clarity PHEV out of Northeast region

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Those looking to wean themselves off fossil fuels in Northeastern states have lost a readily available option. The Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid will no longer be in stock at dealers in the region.

Instead, Honda will focus exclusively on stocking Clarity Plug-in Hybrids in California for now. Green Car Reports first reported on the inventory shift on Wednesday and a spokesperson for the automaker confirmed the news with Roadshow.

"The state of California is the largest market for plug-in hybrid vehicles," said a Honda representative in a statement. "In order to meet customer demand we are currently prioritizing supply of the Clarity Plug-in Hybrid in California, rather than allocating units for dealer inventory in other markets."

Honda's statement pointed out that dealers in all 50 states can still order a Clarity PHEV and customers across the nation are still able to purchase or lease the model.

"We are always monitoring the market and can make adjustments to supply accordingly, but Honda remains disciplined in our approach of matching supply and demand and, in this case, that means focusing sales of Clarity PHEV vehicles in the market with the strongest consumer demand," the spokesperson added.

News of the inventory allocation shuffling follows confirmation that Honda will dial back Accord and Civic production at its Marysville, Ohio, assembly plant. The company will cut the production line responsible for the two sedans temporarily, but Acura production isn't affected at this time. All CR-V production from the Ohio plant will shift to Indiana for now.

The funky Clarity PHEV is part of a trio of Clarity models that also encompasses a purely electric version and a fuel-cell variant. The Clarity Electric and Clarity Fuel Cell are not offered nationwide, however. With the Chevrolet Volt now relegated to the automotive graveyard, the Clarity PHEV could provide a space for those not willing to take the step into full-blown electric car ownership. The Clarity PHEV will go 47 miles on electricity before the 1.5-liter inline-4 engine kicks in as a backup.