In addition to being the first ever hybrid minivan, the Chrysler Pacifica hybrid also packs a charge port?as well as a battery pack large enough to be expected to qualify for the federal government?s full $7500 federal Plug-In Electric Drive Vehicle Credit (a tax credit). Furthermore, the Pacifica hybrid can travel an EPA-rated 33 miles on battery power alone, according to Chrysler?results not yet posted or detailed yet by the EPA, by the way. That?s farther, for instance, than the 25 all-electric miles Toyota?s Prius Prime can cover.
Drivers, however, may have a hard time testing that claim. While some other plug-in-hybrid models?especially those that will go this far on a charge, like the Prius Prime or the Chevrolet Volt?have a way to lock out the gasoline engine as long as there?s significant charge in the battery pack, the Pacifica hybrid doesn?t. Its single mode runs as a hybrid?a hybrid that, provided you don?t take off too quickly, drive too fast, or head up a hill that?s too steep, keeps the gasoline V-6 off and uses the battery?s charge instead. It?s about the simplest interface possible for a plug-in hybrid?so simple that greenies looking to gamify the driving experience might feel a bit disappointed (although they do get some great trip-computer screens). You charge the battery, which takes just two hours with a 240-volt charger. The system runs exclusively on electricity, provided you don?t dip too deeply into the accelerator pedal. Then, when the portion of ...