Shopping for a Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid? Research At-Home Charging
By Kelsey Mays
January 15, 2020
Share
2020 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid | Manufacturer image
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has newly partnered with Amazon to create a microsite with charging hardware for its plug-in Pacifica Hybrid minivan. The microsite, Amazon.com/PacificaHybrid, includes various purchase and installation options for a Level 2 (240-volt) home charger.
Chrysler announced today that it will link to Amazon’s microsite, as well as a Mopar-branded Level 2 charger, from Chryser.com. Pacifica Hybrid shoppers originally had to purchase Mopar chargers through dealers.
FCA noted in a statement that one of the biggest question from customers looking to make the switch to electric vehicles is where and how to set up a charger in their home. The new arrangement with Amazon aims to make answering shoppers’ questions clearer and easier.
“This approach helps take the guesswork out of the equation,” the automaker said in a statement, adding that though the microsite, “customers can purchase a charger, answer a few questions about their home, see an installation quote, then schedule online a quality and licensed electrician to complete the installation of their EV charger.”
From Amazon to Home Depot, online retailers have become hubs to purchase EV charging stations and collect installation quotes. We maintain that at-home charging remains the most viable way to own a plug-in car, but not all such vehicles require Level 2 infrastructure; conventional, 120-volt household outlets can also charge a car, albeit at a much slower pace.
It’s undoubtedly too slow if you own a full battery-electric car, but the Pacifica Hybrid’s battery packs a comparatively low 16-kilowatt-hour capacity — a fraction of the capacity for most full EVs — to enable an EPA-rated 32-mile maximum range. After that, the minivan’s hybrid powertrain kicks in for an EPA-estimated 30 mpg combined, considerably better than the non-hybrid Pacifica’s 22 mpg. FCA says a 120-volt charger can recharge the van in roughly 14 hours, a manageable overnight time. A Level 2 charger, by contrast, can achieve maximum range in as little as two hours.
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
Assistant Managing Editor-News
Kelsey Mays
Former Assistant Managing Editor-News Kelsey Mays likes quality, reliability, safety and practicality. But he also likes a fair price.