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

Name	Combined MPG	Technology	MSRP	Available	Description
Scion xB	25 MPG	Small Car	$15,700	Now	Good fuel efficiency for the little wagon. Urban and youthful.
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.
The eBox	n/a	Electric	$70,000	Now	The eBox is an electric vehicle conversion of the Scion xB.
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.
Mercury Meta One	n/a	Diesel	n/a	Concept	A hybrid transmission with a twin-turbocharged V-6 diesel engine calibrated to run on biodiesel.
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.
Dodge Grand Caravan Hybrid	n/a	Hybrid	n/a	Concept	At this stage, it's more of a rumor than a definite release. But it makes sense for Chrysler.