During the past three years, there is one vehicle that continues to impress automotive journalists… the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. Being the world’s first and only electrified minivan, the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) has been named to Autotrader’s inaugural 12 Best Electric Vehicles list.
“This is our first annual list of the best EVs and we expect the cars on this list to change dramatically over the years,” said Brian Moody, executive editor at Autotrader. “That being said, the Chrysler Pacifica is really in a league of its own – there simply aren’t any other minivans that offer the plug-in flexibility of the Pacifica Hybrid. Around town, the Pacifica Hybrid can run on just electricity, making it both quick and quiet. However, the hybrid powertrain means it’s good for long trips too – all the while providing the comfort of a luxurious minivan.”
The editors over at Autotrader created the list to assist customers in the growing field of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and PHEVs. The editorial team laid out criteria important to the average electric vehicle buyer, such as maximum range, electric-only range (for PHEVs), price, drivability, and value, to help determine their “best of” list. Each vehicle was rated from a 1-to-5 scale (5 being the highest score) for each of the categories. According to Autotrader, the combined average score of the list was a 3.5 rating.
The Autotrader staff particularly like the Limited trim of the Pacifica Hybrid, sighting that complimenting its features such as its hands-free power liftgate, hands-free power sliding doors, and 20-speaker 900-watt Harman Kardon audio system.
The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid returns for 2020 delivering an 82 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) rating when in electric-only mode. The Pacifica Hybrid can also run entirely on the electric range for 32 miles before the specially modified version of the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 gasoline engine paired to the innovative dual-motor eFlite electrically variable transmission (EVT) assists in charging the battery system and propelling the vehicle. The vehicle also uses a regenerative braking system that redirects the kinetic energy used to stop the brakes into energy that is used to charge the vehicle’s battery. The powertrain gives the Pacifica Hybrid a non-stop range of roughly 520 miles (or about 837 kilometers).
For those looking for fast and efficient charging times for the Pacifica Hybrid, Mopar offers a 6.6-kWh on-board 240-volt (Level 2) charger that can fully charge the Pacifica Hybrid in as little as two hours.
The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid continues to be one of the top-five best-selling PHEVs in the automotive industry. It also continues Pacifica’s legacy as the most award-winning minivan ever with over 120 accolades to the nameplate since it was launched in fall of 2016.
