Source: http://wardsauto.com/2017-car-management-briefing-seminars/me-and-my-phev-minivan-no-prisoners But the primary mission of the drive was to put the minivan, its clever propulsion system and assorted advanced technology (adaptive cruise control is wonderful on highways) to the road test. The Pacifica Hybrid made the grade in various departments, the first one being fuel economy. I averaged a nice 28.2 mpg (8.4 L/100 km) for the entire trip, which consisted of limited city driving, some motoring at moderate speeds on county roads and a lot of wide-open barreling up I-75 (where the speed limit on some stretches has been increased to 75 mph [121 km/h]). . . . Here’s the Pacifica PHEV’s make up: a 220-hp, high-compression Atkinson-cycle V-6 (a derivative of FCA’s award-winning standard Pentastar V-6) is paired with two electric motors. A 16-kWh lithium-ion battery pack sits under the floor of the second row of seats. Many hybrid systems use the larger of the two electric motors to drive the wheels with or without the gasoline engine, but the large motor never works in tandem with the smaller one. It primarily serves as a starter-generator. But in the Pacifica, an electrically variable transmission, using a planetary gearset and one-way clutch, draws on both electric motors and the gasoline engine to rotate the wheels. . . . Sure sounds like a drive system like our Prius Prime. Bob Wilson
