A Guide to Hybrid Vans & Hybrid Minivans
For years, soccer moms have been clamoring for a hybrid minivan. After all, who is more sensitive to fuel economy and gas prices than the legions of heroic parents hauling kids and groceries throughout suburbia? Despite the pent-up demand, it will be a few years—at best—before a hybrid minivan is available in the United States.
Toyota has had a hybrid version of its Estima minivan in Japan for several years, though the hybrid model was dropped in the van’s latest edition.
Tens of thousands of consumers have petitioned Toyota, the hybrid leader, to bring the hybrid minivan to the US, but the company has ignored the demands of all those parents and their pint-sized passengers. (The Toyota Highlander Hybrid is the only seven-seater hybrid for now.)
Chrysler has hinted at the possibility of adding a hybrid system to a family-oriented people-mover like the minivan. There's always the option of putting a diesel engine in the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan. But that's wishful thinking. For the time being, we have a E85 Dodge Caravan, an expensive electric conversion, conventional wagons, and...a waiting game.
List of Hybrid Vans
| Sort by: | Name | Combined MPG  | Technology | MSRP | Available | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Mazda5 | 25 MPG | Small Car | $18,000 | Now | Number one most fuel-efficient minivan on the market. Smaller than most. |
 | Dodge Caravan E85 | 18 MPG | E85 Ethanol | $22,400 | Now | One of the true workhorse E85 vehicles. |
 | Toyota Prius V | 40 MPG | Hybrid | n/a | 2011 | The same DNA has the best-selling Prius, but with almost 60 percent more room. |
 | Volvo V70 Plug-in Hybrid | n/a | Plug-in Hybrid | n/a | 2012 | Volvo appears serious about producing a plug-in hybrid wagon with 30 or miles of electric range. |
 | Toyota Sienna Hybrid | n/a | Hybrid | n/a | Concept | Toyota offers a hybrid minivan in Japan. Thousands of families are waiting for that option in the United States. |
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