Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Offers Big Savings in Costs, Emissions
There are a lot of options for consumers interested in investing in a “green” car and FuelEconomy.gov makes it really easy for consumers to find information about every car’s fuel consumption, estimated annual fuel costs and to do car-to-car comparisons. If you are looking for the greenest vehicle that is big enough for the family that saves money in fuel costs and has a smaller carbon footprint, car-to-car comparisons show that the new Pacifica Hybrid is the best choice.
What’s Good Under the Hood?
The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica is a PHEV, meaning it runs on electricity and gas and it can be plugged in to recharge the battery. The electric juice comes from a 16-kWh lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery that runs two electric motors. The gas juice powers its award-winning 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine. Together, the minivan can drive for a total of 566 miles, and that fact alone won it a place on WardsAuto list of 10 Best Engines.
On electricity alone, the Pacifica Hybrid can go up to 33 miles and produces zero tailpipe emissions. With the V6 engine and the battery working together, the Pacifica Hybrid has a combined fuel economy of 84 MPGe! At first, it’s price seems a little, pricey, but that’s before the $7,500 eligible tax credit drivers get in return for helping the environment and investing in sustainable technology. Let’s see how else the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica helps the environment.
Fuel Consumption, Costs and Emissions
FuelEconomy.gov provides users with data on all cars’ annual fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in an easy to understand fashion. Here’s how the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid (MSRP $41,995) compares with two other large PHEVs – the 2017 Volvo XC90 PHEV (MSRP $67,800) and the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLE550e (MSRP $67,225). With the data provided on fueleconomy.gov., in one year, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica consumes an average of 4.0 barrels of petroleum; less than the other two vehicles. The Mercedes-Benz GLE550e consumes an average of 10.9 barrels per year, and the Volvo XC90 PHEV consumes an average of 8.7 barrels per year.
So what does that do for the average fuel costs of each vehicle? In five years, Fueleconomy.gov estimates that drivers of the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid will save an average of $2,500 in comparison to other new vehicles, whereas drivers of the Volvo XC90 PHEV will spend $750 more and drivers of the Mercedes-Benz GLE500e will spend $2,500 more!
How about the carbon footprint? How many tailpipe emissions are each vehicle actually emitting? As PHEVs, all three vehicles can be powered by electricity for some distance and that means they will emit zero tailpipe emissions when in electric-only mode. The Pacifica Hybrid’s electric-only distance more than doubles the electric-only distance of the other two vehicles, too. The Pacifica Hybrid can travel 33 miles on only electricity, the Volvo XC90 PHEV can only travel 14 miles on only-electricity and the Mercedes-Benz GLE550e can only travel 12 miles on electricity alone.
But since drivers are not expected to only drive on electricity all the time, FuelEconomy.gov also provides data on average CO2 tailpipe emissions. Once again, the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is much “greener” than the other two models. The Pacifica Hybrid emits an average of 106 CO2 grams per mile, the Volvo XC90 PHEV emits an average of 238 CO2 grams per mile, and the Mercedes-Benz GLE550e emits an average of 296 CO2 grams per mile.
Finally, the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is eligible for the entire $7,500 federal tax credit for fuel efficient vehicles. The Mercedes-Benz GLE500e is only eligible for a $4,084.60 federal tax credit, and the Volvo XC90 PHEV is only eligible for a $4,585 federal tax credit.
So, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is looking pretty good right about now, doesn’t it? The Pacifica Hybrid is a third of the price, it’s available for a larger tax credit, and it offers drivers more than double the savings in average fuel costs, carbon emissions, and petroleum consumption. Check our inventory or give us a call to find out if we can get you in a Pacifica Hybrid.
