Any Hybrid Minivans?

[bennelson]

Has anyone heard of a Hybrid Minivan?

We have hybrid cars, hybrid SUVs, but no minivans?

People would love to get better economy from a minivan. Is it just that they have been replaced by SUVs?

Anyone here bold enough to convert their minivan to a hybrid?

[tjts1]

Green Car Congress: Toyota Introduces Redesigned Estima Hybrid Minivan in Japan

[PaleMelanesian]

I would be in line for a hybrid minivan. I've been asking that same question myself. Toyota has the Highlander hybrid. How hard is it to transplant that into a Sienna?

[bennelson]

Hey, that minivan looks nice! Thanks for posting that!

[Johnny Mullet]

It's funny that in this day and age, the American car companies offer plenty of hybrid trucks and SUV's, but what about cars?

[SuperTrooper]

It's probably a packaging problem. The low, flat floors offer little space to put things like batteries. Users would probably have to give up "fold-flat" seating. Minivan noses are also lower and more compact, so fitting in the electric drivetrain is probably an issue. Add in the fact that the minivan segment is shrinking.

Give Chrysler credit for choosing a minivan as one platform for it's (hopefully) forthcoming EV hybrid.

[orange4boy]

The Estima linked to above is the third generation Previa. If the Previa had been more successful here we would probably have the Previa (estima) hybrid on the market. Problem is people here wanted more power and the Previa only came with an inline 4. An excellent DOHC 16 valve 4. (plenty of power for me thanks.) That's why we have the V-6 Sienna here but no hybrid Previa.

Interesting also is that there is an excellent, efficient diesel Previa/Estima which is available in the UK, Japan and Aussie land but not in North America.