Details About The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Surface

2017 Chrysler Pacifica (Credit: Chrysler)

Last week Chrysler shocked everyone by unveiling the 2017 Pacifica. While the new model looks great, is larger than any other option on the market today, and can be loaded with all kinds of luxuries, the available hybrid system flew somewhat under the radar.

Now, new details are surfacing about how the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is engineered, and it sounds impressive. To start off, it’s actually a plug-in model, even though the badge just says “hybrid.” A small door is in the front driver’s side fender, which is where the plug goes.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid plug (Credit: Chrysler )

Chrysler made the Pacifica Hybrid to be practical for families, with an all-electric range of about 30 miles. That’s enough juice to run some errands, take Timmy to baseball practice, and go to Emily’s dance lesson, making it well-suited for daily life. A liquid-cooled 16 kWh battery sits in the Stow ‘n’ Go compartment for the second row. That means you can’t fold the seats flat into the floor, so there is a small sacrifice.

Charging takes about two hours with a 240-volt plug. If you have to use a 110-volt connection, plan on between 12 and 14 hours. Chrysler hasn’t said how long fast chargers would take since it believes most owners will only plug in at home.

Green Car Reports was able to mine some interesting info from a Chrysler executive at Detroit last week. One of the key takeaways is that the Pacifica Hybrid can go up to 120 mph in all-electric mode. If you slam down the accelerator pedal, the gasoline engine could kick on, but at close to full throttle the vehicle will still only run on electricity, until the battery is depleted. That’s ideal for a minivan that’s loaded with plenty of people and gear, especially if you need to regularly get over pretty steep hills or through canyons and don’t want to burn up any gas just to punch past 30 mph.

The 3.6-liter V-6 gasoline engine is paired with two electric motors. A one-way clutch allows torque delivery from both motors at the same time when the engine isn’t running. While Chrysler claims the system runs seamlessly, nobody really knows until the Pacifica Hybrid is ready to be tested by third parties.