Residents in Ann Arbor, Michigan received an unexpected light show Saturday night courtesy of a 12-year-old boy. The juvenile reportedly stole a forklift from a construction site and led police on a meandering, slow-speed chase through city streets before exiting town. Fortunately, there were no injuries resulting from this melee, but numerous cars were damaged, including a minivan that was shoved into someone’s front yard.
According to the Ann Arbor Police Department, the incident began at approximately 6:45 pm local time. Apparently, the boy found the forklift unlocked at a construction site near a middle school. Mind you, this isn’t the kind of forklift you see lifting pallets of soda at a grocery store. It’s identified by police as a Construction Genie GTH-636 Telehandler – a four-wheel-drive construction vehicle with a turbocharged diesel engine for power. It’s configurable with multiple add-ons for heavy-duty work, and this particular version has a humungous hydraulic fork on the front.
Fortunately for police, it’s slow. Speeds only reached around 20 mph during the pursuit. However, the weight and stance of the forklift made PIT maneuvers impossible. And at risk of sounding like a meme, one doesn’t simply drive in front of a turbocharged forklift driven by a juvenile delinquent. At one point during the video, an officer is heard saying “we can’t stop this thing.” Shortly thereafter, the decision is made to turn off lights and sirens and give the boy some extra space. In response, he drives on the sidewalk instead of the road.
The video ends before the chase comes to an end. Police from Washtenaw County take over as the boy leaves town, and the pursuit ends when the 12-year-old finally stops. He was promptly taken into custody, but being a minor, his identity won’t be released. However, police told ClickOnDetroit that the youngster “is known to officials.”
Here’s hoping the boy learns a lesson from this mess. As for the owner of the forklift, hopefully there won’t be any more keys left in beefy, unattended construction equipment.
1000 Chrysler Drive, Auburn Hills, Metro Detroit, Michigan, United States
Current CEO:
Christine Feuell
Parent Corporation:
Stellantis
Status:
Active
Total Vehicles Sold In 2022:
115,004
Region:
Americas
Summary
The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is the only plug-in hybrid minivan in its class, providing impressive fuel economy and a 32-mile all-electric driving range.
The Pacifica Hybrid offers advanced safety features, including forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control, making it a safe choice for families.
With its spacious interior, comfortable seating, and versatile cargo space, the Pacifica Hybrid is a great choice for family vacations and everyday use, offering ample room for passengers and gear.
The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is the first name in hybrid minivans. Although other brands have developed hybrid minivans, the Pacifica continues to be the only plug-in hybrid in its class. When you need a great vehicle for your family, it’s hard to beat the Pacifica, which comes with seven seats and a set of third-row Stow ‘N Go seats that fold into the floor, providing an impressive level of versatility in the cabin.
In addition to the plug-in hybrid powertrain and versatile cabin, the Pacifica hybrid minivan brings some of the most advanced technology to the market, with impressive safety features and entrainment options for the kids.
If you want the benefits of AWD, you’ll want to look at the Toyota Sienna, which comes with a standard traditional hybrid powertrain, or the standard Chrysler Pacifica. Neither of these other minivans qualifies for the $7,500 Federal EV Tax Credit, and they don’t offer the same fuel economy figures as the plug-in hybrid Chrysler Pacifica.
Overall, the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid includes:
Advanced safety features families require
Ride quality that will put the kids to sleep when they’re fussy
Plenty of space to be a comfortable and useful minivan for family vacations and trips to the hardware store
Let’s dig in and get to know the Pacifica hybrid minivan a little better.
Every trim of the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid uses an impressive powertrain that pairs a V-6 engine with two electric motors. The electric motors receive power from a lithium-ion battery to all the hybrid Chrysler Pacifica to maximize fuel economy figures with 32 miles of all-electric driving before ever using a drop of gas. When this minivan has a full battery and a full tank of gas, it can travel for 520 miles before refueling.
Chrysler Pacifica Powertrain Figures
Powertrain
3.6-liter V-6 gas engine/Dual Electric Motors, 16 kWh battery
Horsepower
260 hp
Torque
262 lb-ft
EPA Fuel Economy
30 mpg combined/82 MPGe
Battery-only Range
32 miles
Pacifica hybrid owners should install 240-volt at-home EV chargers to recharge the batteries quickly. The 16-kWh battery in the Hybrid Chrysler Pacifica takes 14 hours to recharge using a standard 120-volt home outlet but only two hours using a 240-volt home charger. This plug-in hybrid minivan uses a CVT automatic transmission to maximize fuel mileage figures.
What Does The Base Touring L Trim Include?
Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Touring L Price: $49,995
Chrysler
The Touring L model is the base level for the hybrid Pacifica with the most affordable price. A starting price of $49,995 for a minivan might sound like a lot, but this minivan qualifies for the Federal EV Tax Credit, which softens the blow. Compared to the standard Pacifica, the hybrid Chrysler Pacifica MPG enables the fuel costs to be cut in half annually.
Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Safety Features
Forward collision warning
Pedestrian detection
Full-speed automatic emergency braking
Lane departure warning
Lane-keeping assist
Blind-spot monitoring
Rear cross-traffic detection
Rearview monitor
Tire pressure monitoring
Adaptive cruise control
Rear parking sensors
The Touring L is a step above the Touring trim, which isn’t offered among the hybrid models. This higher trim adds leatherette upholstery, rear seat ambient lighting, driver’s seat memory settings, third-row retractable sunshades, and illuminated cupholders in the console.
Choose the Pacifica Touring L hybrid minivan, and you’ll ride on 18-inch wheels, and your kids can enjoy the optional Uconnect Theater Family Group with dual 10-inch seatback touchscreens. The Touring L model also includes the Safety Sphere Group, which consists of a 360-degree Surround View Camera, ParkSense front and rear parking sensors, and parallel and perpendicular self-parking assist. This hybrid minivan has features that make driving more comfortable and calm for you and your family.
The 2023 Chrysler Hybrid Limited Trim Comes With All The Bells And Whistles
Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Limited Price: $54,495
Chrysler
Moving up to the Limited trim, you’ll enjoy a Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid with 17-inch polished wheels with Baltic Gray pockets, a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, and a 20-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The Limited model increases the luxurious feeling offered in the Pacifica with a bevy of excellent items, including:
Gesture-activated hands-free liftgate
Power sliding side doors
Power-folding side mirrors
Exterior puddle lights
Heated and ventilated front seats
Eight-way power passenger seat
Nappa leather upholstery
Upgraded Premium console
Stow ‘n Vac vacuum
Heated second-row seats
Power-folding third-row seat
Uconnect 5 infotainment system
If you want to add style to this family hauler, the optional S Appearance Package includes a set of 20-inch wheels to give you a van that looks a little better on the road. The heated and ventilated front seats offer the desired comfort as you sit on the comfortable Nappa leather upholstery. The Limited trim is the middle model in the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan lineup, making it the most popular trim offered.
The 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Pinnacle Trim Makes Sense
Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Pinnacle Price: $59,995
The Pinnacle trim brings the highest hybrid Pacifica price, but the additional features could be worth the cost when you want to provide the highest comfort level for your family. The Pinnacle trim gives the Hybrid Chrysler Pacifica other items, including second and third-row retractable sunshades, 18-inch polished alloy wheels with gray pockets, and second-row captain’s chairs with lumbar pillows.
This trim also includes an Ultra console, a 115-volt outlet, and platinum chrome on the door handles, grille surround, and Stow ‘n Place roof rack. At this top trim, the Pacifica hybrid comes with Caramel Nappa leather, which looks incredible with a quilted pattern along the side bolsters.
Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Top Features And Tech
Power liftgate and sliding doors
Hands-free power doors
Harman Kardon premium audio system
Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
FamCAM
That’s right; the Pacifica hybrid includes an in-car camera that allows you to watch the kids in the rear seats while driving. This is extremely helpful for watching small children in rear-facing child seats. The FamCAM is standard for the Pinnacle trim and an optional feature for the other two Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid trims.
Up To 140.5 Cubic Feet Of Cargo Space In The Chrysler Hybrid
Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Max Cargo Room: 140.5 Cubic Feet
Chrysler
Families need minivans to be versatile, capable, and comfortable. The versatility factor brings expected levels of cargo-carrying ability to the mix. The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid offers ample cargo room with folding rear seats that open the cabin for plenty of gear. The third-row seats fold into the floor in this hybrid minivan, but the second-row seats must be removed to use the full 140.5 cu-ft of cargo room available.
Pacifica Hybrid Cargo Room
Behind Third Row
32.3 cu-ft
Behind Second Row
87.5 cu-ft
Behind Front Row
140.5 cu-ft
The Pacifica Hybrid is limited to seven seats and does not have the second-row Stow ‘N Go seats found in the gas-only Pacifica. Still, the hybrid version provides more comfortable seats in the second row, which can be great when you have multiple adults or older children in your minivan. All three rows are large enough for adults and provide four complete sets of LATCH connectors for child seats to be properly installed and secured in this hybrid minivan.
The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan offers impressive MPG figures, is comfortable, has impressive tech and features, and provides ample passenger and cargo space. This is the only plug-in hybrid minivan in the market, making it unique for its fuel economy numbers and all-electric driving range.
Collaborations with University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Touchstone Evaluations, Inc., University of Michigan International Center for Automotive Medicine, and Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCenter for Transportation and Logistics Agelab
Project expansion reinforces research vision of promoting safety innovations and facilitating a seamless transition to future mobility solutions
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (July 27, 2023) – Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) announced plans to launch three new projects as part of its next phase of research, dedicated to advancing safety in mobility technologies.
The three new projects include investigating driver support features for vehicle lane centering, creating an in-vehicle intervention prototype to promote safe driving, and using data to improve technology for driver decision making and encourage safer driving behavior.
In addition, Toyota has joined the Vulnerable Road User Injury Prevention Alliance (VIPA) at the University of Michigan International Center for Automotive Medicine (ICAM) to support ongoing research into crashes involving pedestrians, cyclists, and e-scooter riders. VIPA aims to enhance industry-wide understanding of common scenarios that lead to crashes and injuries, with the goal of developing effective prevention measures.
These projects, along with the 13 projects announced in 2022, are part of Toyota’s five-year $30 million commitment to exploring safety needs and inclusive mobility options.
“Our new research projects exemplify CSRC’s dedication to improving safety in the automotive industry,” said Danil Prokhorov, director of Toyota’s CSRC. “By collaborating with researchers and studying real-world problems, we aim to develop enhanced engineering tools and empower drivers to maximize the potential of advanced technologies.”
For these new projects, CSRC is partnering with Massachusetts Institute of Technology Agelab, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, and Touchstone Evaluations, Inc. The findings will be shared publicly to maximize their impact and contribute to the development of a safer mobility society.
The three new research projects are:
The Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) was established in 2011 to advance safety in the automotive industry through collaborations with universities and other institutions. With current commitments, CSRC has received $115 million for safety research, including the development of tools and testing procedures for advanced driver assistance systems and human factors research.
The current phase of research at CSRC focuses on three key tracks: Human-Centric, Safety Assurance, and Assessment. These tracks aim to ensure safe and accessible mobility technologies, enhance safe operations, and quantify mobility safety measures.
CSRC has conducted 98 research projects with over 30 different institutions, resulting in the publication of over 275 research papers. The projects have contributed to the advancement of research and technology for the safe integration of future mobility solutions.
TMNA R&D
Toyota Motor North America Research & Development (TMNA R&D) has been leading engineering for Toyota vehicles for over 50 years. The team is now focused on creating next-generation vehicles and advanced mobility concepts. Toyota’s innovation has resulted in more patents than any other automaker for the past nine consecutive years.
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