cars news 10: 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid EPA-rated at 84 MPGe

Official EPA numbers are out for the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan, and all figures surpass the automaker’s initial estimates.

In electric-only mode, the 2017 Pacifica Hybrid is rated at 84 MPGe, which the EPA describes as the “number of miles the vehicle can go using a quantity of fuel with the same energy content as a gallon of gasoline.” Chrysler initially estimated the Pacifica Hybrid would achieve 80 MPGe.

Other EPA figures are higher than the automaker’s previous estimates as well. For starters, the minivan’s electric-only range is rated by the EPA at 33 miles, up from Chrysler’s projected 30 miles. The EPA set the Pacifica Hybrid’s total driving range (electric and gas engine combined) at 566 miles, which is 36 more miles than initial estimates.

The Pacifica’s plug-in hybrid powertrain includes a 3.6-liter V-6 running on an Atkinson cycle. That’s supplemented by a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and an electrically variable transmission that houses two electric motors. Chrysler says the battery pack can be charged in two hours using a Level 2, 240-volt charger.

The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid starts at $43,090 including the $1,095 destination fee. With the $7,500 federal tax credit, the price drops to $35,590 and could go lower still with applicable state tax incentives. The Pacifica Hybrid goes on sale next month, making it the only PHEV minivan on the market.

Source: Chrysler