Does a 6 passenger electric plug in exist?

Actually not even sure a 6 passenger hybrid exists in the North American market? I likely will be in the market for something in the next few months. Its for the mrs. not me to drive. She has about a 60 mile round trip commute to work so I want the most fuel efficient 6 passenger hauler available. Yes, I know, those darn children

She refuses to drive my rusty but reliable 200k mile Civic vx which would make the most sense to me. But like they say we never win an argument with our better halves even if we really do

Don't think so. You could put that wheel-hub-motor plug-in kit on an efficient minivan...

IIRC you might be able to get 6 people into a Tesla S with the rear facing seats installed.

Hey, you didn't say it had to be cheap .

The Tesla Model X is a 7-seater

Possiby http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-57455475-48/finally-a-plug-in-hybrid-with-four-wheel-drive-is-coming/

Before looking at a Tesla, look at what it takes to get service on one.

You are likely money ahead to look outside of hybrids though.
(increased expense of hybrid > value of gas saved)

Yes price is a major factor lol.

I should mention we currently have a Mazda5 which technically is 6 passenger but the 3rd row is quite tight for a teen or adult. I was hopeful we (she) could do better mpg wise than this vehicle yet still have the capaability to haul the whole family when needed.

Another option would be to buy an in-expensive older van or suv (I'm not afraid of turning a wrench) and just use that when we need to haul the whole family which really amounts to about only 10-20% of our total driving.

drainoil wrote: Another option would be to buy an in-expensive older van or suv (I'm not afraid of turning a wrench) and just use that when we need to haul the whole family which really amounts to about only 10-20% of our total driving.

^^This^^

If you are dealing with teens, life is about to change.

My wife thought an SUV was a necessity. It just about was when we had 5 kids at the house.

But then I realized one of them could drive. 2 cheap compact beaters (with basic insurance) are significantly cheaper than 1 SUV, and have seating for 10. Plus, lots more flexibility.

I just had to accept we would sometimes be driving more than one vehicle to the same place.

That was 10 years ago. We never looked back.

10-20% of the time will probably not justify the cost of a hybrid.

SVreX wrote:

drainoil wrote: Another option would be to buy an in-expensive older van or suv (I'm not afraid of turning a wrench) and just use that when we need to haul the whole family which really amounts to about only 10-20% of our total driving.

^^This^^ If you are dealing with teens, life is about to change. My wife thought an SUV was a necessity. It just about was when we had 5 kids at the house. But then I realized one of them could drive. 2 cheap compact beaters (with basic insurance) are significantly cheaper than 1 SUV, and have seating for 10. Plus, lots more flexibility. I just had to accept we would sometimes be driving more than one vehicle to the same place. That was 10 years ago. We never looked back. 10-20% of the time will probably not justify the cost of a hybrid.

I've been trying to convince my wife the two small car thing makes sense for years. The hitch I run into is the two or three long cross country drives we make a year. I think she just wants to sleep.

That's what car rental companies are for.

Heck, we even rented a motorhome once for a x-country trip.

Do the numbers. Renting is cheaper, and you can get a different cool car every time!

We are a family of 6 & got rid of our minivan 2 years ago. Our kids are old enough that we rarely all need to go together somewhere, and when we do, we take 2 cars. In those 2 years I can count on one hand the number of times we actually could have utilized something larger.

We have 2-5 cars (Depending on how many people and how long) that are easily capable of making a cross country trip, and yet last year when only 3 of us went from Chicago to Virginia for a weekend, we still rented a car. When you break it down into cost per mile, it is typically cheaper unless you're in a real beater. Combine that with the security of it being a new car, and the fact that if it does break down, they come find you with another one and you are on your merry way.

For the past ~10 years when we have gone to our grandparents lake home, we've taken two cars as well. Seeing as we're there for a week minimum, it is much easier that way. Don't have to worry about fitting all the luggage, don't have to worry about the dog having room. If someone wants to go golfing, someone else wants to go fishing, and someone else wants to go into town, we don't have to worry about what car has a tow hitch, when does so and so need to be picked up, etc. At some point you need to stop doing the most economical thing and do the easy thing.