Americans Can Now Choose From 4 Green Minivans With Electrified Powertrains

As an engineer, I’ve always thought it was pretty dumb of us to electrify our smallest vehicles first. In 2025, conventional small cars like the Nissan Sentra earn a very high 40 MPG rating. This is the last type of car I’d electrify if I were the supreme ruler of the Americas. Instead, I go after the gluttons. The biggest vehicles on the road. Electrifying them saves a lot more energy. The good news for 2025 is that there are now a total of four minivans with room to seat seven or eight passengers that are equipped with electrified powertrains. Let’s take a look at these green options ranked by volume of deliveries.

#1 - Toyota Sienna Hybrid-Electric Vehicle - 36 MPG Priced $39K to $55K
The Toyota Sienna is the volume leader if our data is correct. Every Sienna Toyota builds comes with a hybrid-electric powertrain. There is no conventionally-powered version, and that has been the case for many model years now. What makes the Toyota Sienna special? A few things, First up, it can be equipped with an all-electric AWD. Opt for that and the vehicle has a 35 MPG rating. Another hallmark of the Sienna is quality, durability, and reliability. The Sienna also has an optional spare tire. In our testing, the Sienna proved to be a very nice vehicle overall, with a surprisingly nice ride.  The Sienna uses 39% less fuel than a conventional minivan. 

#2 - Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid-Electric Vehicle - 82 MPGe / 30 MPG Priced $53K - $59K
Chrysler’s Pacifica can have a conventional or plug-in hybrid-electric powertrain. The PHEV version offers up to 32 miles of all-electric range and 82 MPGe when the owner can plug in. Even without the plug, the Pacifica PHEV has an MPG rating of 30 MPG, which is 27% better than a conventionally powered minivan. 

#3 - Kia Carnival Hybrid-Electric Vehicle - 33 MPG Priced $42K - $54K
New for 2025 is the Kia Carnival hybrid-electric vehicle. For the first time this model year, Kia has adopted its interesting turbocharged engine and geared transmission with a hybrid drive to the Carnival. It uses 33% less fuel than a conventional minivan. The Carnival “identifies as” an SUV with bold, blocky styling and comes with a 10-year warranty. 

#4 Tesla Model X Battery-Electric Vehicle - 100 MPGe Priced $82K - $125K
The most efficient minivan is the Tesla Model X. This minivan offers buyers a choice of versions, with the most efficient having a 100 MPGe rating. The Model X is noteworthy because its novel middle-row doors don’t slide back like the other minivans on our list but instead lift up gullwing-style. 

One of our favorite reviewers is Tom Voelk. In his recent review of the Carnival, Tom compared the various green powertrains available and made a comment we love. He said, “Buy your needs.” If you need a green van that never needs to plug in, there are now three great options. If you have the ability to plug in, two of the four will meet your needs. 

As you can see from our chart above, electrification dramatically increases the range of three of our electrified minivans, but the Model X has only a typical 335-mile range before needing energy. The Sienna can travel about 1,300 miles with just one three-minute stop for fuel. You’d need to leave the Tesla on a Supercharger for around three hours to gain that much total range. 

Our chart above offers the Honda Odyssey as the conventionally powered van example. The Odyssey is one of the nicest vehicles one can buy of any type at the $52K price tag of its Elite trim, but it does not come in a hybrid version. It’s also the segment leader in volume overall, so we felt adding it as a comparison was worthwhile. 

Which of these four green, electrified minivans would you choose if you were shopping heading into 2025? Tell us in the comments below. 
 

Chart of minivan specs by John Goreham. Top of page screenshot courtesy of the EPA's website www.FuelEconomy.gov.

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John Goreham is an experienced New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work at our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ Grammarly grammar and punctuation software when proofreading.