The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has received its EPA ratings, and they are even better than Fiat-Chrysler Automotive’s (FCA) own estimations!
Originally, FCA had said the Pacifica Hybrid would achieve 30 miles of electric driving range, and that overall efficiency would be around 80 MPGe.
Today, the U.S. environmental protection agency released their ratings for the plug-in hybrid minivan, and the electric range from the 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack is 33 miles! Overall efficiency is rated at 84 MPGe in the city which is just amazing for a vehicle this size!
The Pacifica Hybrid pricing starts at $41,995 before any tax incentives. The battery pack is large enough to qualify for the full $7500 federal tax credit in the USA, and some states also have additional rebates.
As a plug-in hybrid with a range of 33 miles, it beats the Toyota Prius Prime by 8 miles (Prius Prime is rated at 25 miles EV range), and is a much larger vehicle than Toyota’s plug-in. The Pacifica PHEV almost matched the range of the 2011 Volt’s range of 35 miles, and has attracted a lot of attention from people who don’t even like Hybrids.
One person’s comment under the EPA announcement said this: “This is the only hybrid I might consider and I hate hybrids. You know the world is turning upside down when GM and Chrysler are among the top of my list, and none of the Asian/European brands.”
That sums it up – this hybrid brings Chrysler from the we-don’t-care-about-EVs crowd to the forefront. This minivan has the ability to drive 12,000 EV miles per year simply charging at home overnight (33 miles x 365 days). The average per year mileage in North America is around 14,000 miles, so the plug-in Pacifica minivan has the potential to allow people (even those of us with lots of kids, finally!) to drive most of those on electric power!
What effect does the Phoenix Arizona heat have on the Pacifica PHEV battery? Is there a cooling system for the battery? When will they be available in Arizona?
Not sure, Chrysler hasn’t provided great info. All we know for sure is that production was supposed to start on April 7th, with shipping starting on April 17th.