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Archives for March 2017

PHEV Minivan: 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

March 17, 2017 by admin 3 Comments

The industry’s first-ever hybrid minivan has arrived.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
The all-new Chrysler Pacifica is now joined by a plug-in hybrid available in two trims:
Premium and Platinum.

Chrysler arrived late to the hybrid game releasing 2009 MY Dodge Durango Hybrid and Chrysler Aspen Hybrid models in the summer of 2008. Sharing the two-mode hybrid system developed jointly with GM, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, the Chrysler duo were discontinued a few months later as Chrysler’s survival was in doubt.

But Chrysler was far from done with vehicle electrification, an important way for manufacturers to meet ever-rising fuel economy requirements. Models such as the all-electric Fiat 500e were developed for California, but as for the type of model with potentially wider appeal — a hybrid — nothing followed. Until now.

Introducing the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid puts Fiat Chrysler back in the electrification limelight and does so in a significant way. This is no ordinary hybrid either. Instead, Chrysler went directly to a plug-in version, skipping the standard hybrid completely. Therefore, when you read “Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid” this actually means “Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid.”

The Pacific Hybrid hit the market nearly a year after the all-new Pacifica arrived, replacing the previous Chrysler Town & Country. Both the Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid are 2017 MY vehicles, despite the late start for the hybrid. Yes, the Dodge Grand Caravan is still being produced, but it is based on the previous generation minivan. The Pacifica/Pacifica Hybrid represent today’s engineering and technology — the here and now.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

Hybrid Energy Drive

The two models are powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine with the hybrid operating on the more efficient Atkinson cycle. An electrically variable transmission works in tandem with a pair of electric motors to send power to turn the front wheels; one of the motors does double duty as a generator. Electricity is stored in a lithium-ion battery pack located under the second-row seats and is tapped at various times in the drive cycle.

The advantage of a plug-in hybrid over a standard hybrid is electric-only range, something the former provides, but the latter doesn’t except in short spurts, typically of up to one mile. And not all hybrids can do much more than an electric-only crawl around the lot as you look for a parking space.

Chrysler says the Pacific Hybrid has a 33-mile electric-only range when the minivan is fully charged. But that range isn’t precise — certain variables such as air temperature can weigh in. I was able to charge the vehicle several times — all but once at public charging stations — and the feedback listed on the dashboard showed range times of 37, 40, 37, and 35 miles. The lower number was reached when daytime temperatures at the end of my week stayed below 50 degrees or about 30 degrees lower than when I started.

It soon became a game to see how far I could drive without the engine kicking in. Like other PHEVs, the engine doesn’t wait until electricity has been depleted to activate. Under hard acceleration and whenever extra power is needed, the V6 comes alive and works concurrently with the motors to move the minivan. When the extra power isn’t needed, the engine shuts off — as long as there is juice left in the batteries.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

A Matter of Style

Unlike some hybrid versions of standard models, the Pacifica Hybrid looks nearly identical to the gas model. The chief differences include the charging port located between the front left wheel and the roof pillar as well as hybrid badging placed here and there. You’ll find some color differences too — mine came in a handsome silver teal.

Inside, floor mats with “hybrid” spelled out are evident too. And the instrument panel has its own information about charging and energy use. At the top of the dashboard you’ll find a four-light arrangement — the more lights activated when charging, the closer you are to a full charge.

You’ll find room for seven inside the Pacifica Hybrid — the gas model offers room for eight or seven. The difference here is that Chrysler offers second-row captain’s chairs for two and doesn’t make the three-row bench seat available. The reason is simple: the Chrysler second- and third-row seats folds into the floor in the gasoline model, but only the third-row seat does that in the hybrid. For beneath the floor in the second row is where Chrysler stores the battery pack — that seat storage area has been repurposed for hybrid means.

As for the cabin in its entirety, the hybrid offers excellent room all around and supplies numerous cup and drink holders, cubbies, and other storage areas to go with it. A long list of standard features include keyless entry with push-button start, power-sliding side doors, full power accessories, multi-zone climate control, and second-row sunshades. A panoramic sunshade is available ($1,795).

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

Safety and Technology

In all things crashworthiness, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid claims the highest marks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The IIHS awarded the Pacifica Hybrid a Top Safety Pick+ rating, while the NHTSA assigned a 5-star rating to the minivan.

Looking beyond the expected assembly of seat belts, traction and stability control, crumple zones, and electronic brake force distribution, the hybrid offers more than 100 standard and available safety features. Lane departure warning, lane keep assist, front and rear park assist, a rearview camera, and adaptive cruise control are also included or available.

A UConnect infotainment system with an 8.4-inch screen and available navigation headline the tech items. You’ll also get an assortment of apps, USB and auxiliary audio ports, satellite radio, and HD radio. A six-speaker audio system is standard.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

Price Comparisons, Tax Credits

At first glance, there is a huge price difference between base minivan models. The 2017 Pacific starts at $28,595 (plus $995 destination) and the Pacifica Hybrid begins at $41,995 (plus $1,095 destination).That’s a difference of $13,400, but it doesn’t explain what you’re getting for the money.

What you have here is a hybrid that comes better equipped than any of the lower grades of the gas model. For example, the Hybrid Premium edition ($41,995) is priced $4,100 more than the Touring L Plus, while the Hybrid Platinum costs $2,500 more than the Limited.

Those are the price points you’ll want to compare, but consider this: the hybrids are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit in addition to whatever state and local incentives apply. Straight away your net costs come in lower for the hybrid and for families who wanted well-equipped models in the first place, here you go.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

Parting Thoughts

Chrysler already raised the bar among minivans when the gasoline Pacifica rolled out in spring 2016. The hybrid places a bow on top of this model and flexes Fiat Chrysler’s green credentials. With 32 mpg fuel economy (22 mpg for the gas model), the Pacifica Hybrid is as efficient as a compact car.

You can expect other FCA models to get the PHEV treatment too, perhaps the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango or both.

You’ll want to compare this minivan with the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Kia Sedona, and the Nissan Quest, before quickly realize that there’s nothing like the Pacifica Hybrid available. That seems surprising given Toyota’s dominance of the hybrid market, but the Sienna — unlike the similar-sized Highlander SUV — is absent one. Advantage Chrysler.


2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid


2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid photos copyright Auto Trends Magazine. All rights reserved.

Filed Under: New Car Reviews Tagged With: 2017 cars, Chrysler Pacifica, Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, ELECTRIC VEHICLE, lithium-ion battery, plug-in hybrid, stow 'n go seating, TOYOTA SIENNA, V6 engine

The Fuel Cell Car Myth

March 14, 2017 by Jack Winnick 1 Comment

Toyota Mirai
This Toyota Mirai is a current example of a limited-available fuel-cell vehicle
(photo courtesy of Toyota Motors).

The “fuel cell cars” currently being advertised are being touted as “having no emissions except water.” In a limited sense that is, in fact, true. However, if the entire fuel cycle for the car is considered it most certainly is not. The fuel used by the fuel cell is hydrogen, very pure hydrogen. Combined with oxygen from the ambient air, the fuel cell produces electricity that powers an electric motor and other devices in the vehicle–just like the battery-driven electric vehicles already on the market. These don’t produce any emissions at all. So far, so good. No complicated reciprocating engines, no noise, no smog, minimal maintenance, no global warming.

However, when considering a vehicle its entire energy cycle has to be kept in the picture. All electric vehicles have an energy demand; that energy has to be produced somewhere. For the battery cars it’s pretty simple. The same electricity produced by power plants: fossil fuel, solar or wind-driven, that’s used everywhere else (lighting, air-conditioning, etc.) is used by the batteries in the car. If the source is non-hydrocarbon fuel; that is, not oil, coal or natural gas, there really is no emission from the fuel cycle. But in the U.S., more than two-thirds of our electric energy does come from these fossil fuels. So the electric energy used by the battery-driven cars is responsible for their share of the emissions from these power plants. That includes the carbon dioxide responsible for a share of the global warming (all fossil fuels contain a large percentage of carbon).

The fuel-cell cars don’t use the electricity produced by central power plants, fossil-fuel or not. The only require hydrogen, a clean-burning fuel that yields only water when combusted in oxygen. No carbon dioxide, no global warming. Unfortunately, you can’t harvest pure hydrogen by drilling a hole in the ground. It has to be produced from some other source; that source is almost always a fossil fuel.

Wait a minute, some will say, what about all the water on the planet, isn’t that two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen? Why not get the hydrogen from water? The answer to that question lies in that old devil: Thermodynamics.

Skipping all the math, it says “you can’t get more energy out of a process than you put in. In fact, you can’t break even.” In the case of combustion processes, you can’t even get close. Big modern power plants do best, somewhat more than two-thirds.

Let’s consider an example. Say you want to combust a fossil fuel in a power plant to produce electricity, then use that electricity to separate the water into pure hydrogen and oxygen. It’s an old, established process (electrolysis) that works very well. Now you send that hydrogen through a pipeline to filling stations around the country, where it is pumped into cars and used in their fuel cells. There the hydrogen is combined with oxygen from the air to make electricity to drive the car. Water is the only chemical product. Simple, right? Not exactly. When the inherent inefficiencies of all these processes are taken into consideration, (including the energy cost of the pumping), you would be lucky to get a third of the energy out that you put in. And the source of all that energy was the fossil fuel you started with. The carbon dioxide from the combustion of the fuel becomes emission necessitated by the car.

Aha, you may say, how about using solar cells to make the electricity to drive the electrolysis plants that produce the hydrogen! Well, if you go there, you may as well use the solar-produced electricity to charge the batteries in electric cars and skip the fuel cells entirely. This latter technique is a reasonable process. The fewer the steps, the higher the net efficiency. Sunlight-to-electricity-to-hydrogen-to-electricity is a “Rube Goldberg” machine at its ultimate.

But before dismissing the fuel-cell car concept entirely, consider an option that was actually close to reality about twenty years ago. A fuel-cell car that produces its hydrogen directly from gasoline had a lot of merit. The system was dependent on the viability of a process called “on-board reforming.” Hydrogen is made commercially from oil or natural gas. The fossil fuel is combined with water in a “reforming” reactor, producing mainly hydrogen and carbon dioxide. (No, you can’t get completely away from that stuff, only hope to minimize its production.) If a small enough reactor could be built and installed in the car along with the fuel cells and ancillary equipment, it just might beat the internal combustion engine for efficiency and emission control. The main advantage over the currently visualized fuel cell car: no complicated new delivery and on-board storage system for the hydrogen. No new network of pipelines and high-pressure tanks. The system only makes the hydrogen required at the moment.

Well, a lot of very smart, dedicated engineers and scientists worked very hard (and spent a lot of money) trying to get the scheme to work. Several large companies, along with the government labs, competed to find a successful process. And they came pretty close. In the end it was the fussy nature of the hydrogen fuel cell that killed it. The expensive, precious-metal fuel cell catalyst wouldn’t tolerate even the tiny amounts of contaminants in the hydrogen produced in the reforming reactor. The system grew too big and too expensive to ever compete with the gasoline-driven internal combustion engine. Another example of how nature can tantalize us, but ultimately bring us to our knees.


See Also — What Tax Breaks Are Available For Fuel Efficient Vehicles?

Filed Under: Special Tagged With: electricity, fossil fuels, fuel cell, greenhouse gases, hydrogen, internal combustion engine, power plant, Toyota Mirai, water vapor

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