Charging at Jon’s work
Driving our new plug-in Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has been amazing this week. With the exception of one problem, which I’ll get to later , we have been very pleased with this plug-in hybrid minivan. The acceleration is fun, so far I’ve experienced 95kW all electric torque launching us forward from a stop without the internal combustion engine ever engaging. The combined horsepower is 260hp (194 kW). Cornering is tight with low roll, probably due to the low center of gravity from the battery pack in the floor and the 18″ rims. I especially love the heated steering wheel and heated seats, which help me keep the main climate control system off except when I need the defogger. The ride is very quiet, even when the gasoline engine kicks in.
We’ve used less than 2 gallons of gasoline and driven over 230 miles.
This week we have driven 255 miles this week with 217 in all electric, 48 in hybrid mode and still have 7/8th of the 1st tank of gas . Our hybrid fuel economy is currently 27 MPG and climbing from the 18 MPG when we got it from the dealer.
We’ve tried charging at home (plugged into standard 110V outlet), fast charging (level 2 -240V) at my work and at a public charging station. The 14 hours for a full charge at home is a really slow, so we are looking into having a level 2 charger installed.
Screen shot from iPhone app showing vehicle information during the week.
We’re not the only ones enjoying it, the kids love the entertainment system, even though they’ve only been able to use it on short drives. Our son found Sudoku, chess and other games. Now they negotiate for the middle seats instead of the front seat.
The one problem we have had started at 180 miles, when the “Service Hybrid Electric Vehicle System” warning light came on. We have been in touch with our local Chrysler service center and with the dealership where we bought the minivan. Unfortunately because the hybrid system is still new, the earliest appointment we could get was a few weeks out. They assured us that we can safely continue driving it between now and then. We’ll provide an update on how that works out.
All in all, we are loving our Pacifica Hybrid at the end of week one.
Happy Greening!
Jon
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