EPIC Minivan is Tops in Customer Acceptability

26 May 2000

    AUBURN HILLS , Mich. , May 26 DaimlerChrysler's EPIC
electric minivan took top honors for customer acceptability among production
vehicles in the recent American Tour de Sol.
    It was the second consecutive year that the EPIC was rated tops for
customer acceptability in the annual road rally for electric and advanced
technology vehicles.  The EPIC also took first place in the production minivan
category.  The American Tour del Sol is sponsored by the Northeast Sustainable
Energy Association in Greenfield , Massachusetts.
    In the customer acceptability category , vehicles were rated on attributes
such as ease of access , comfort , ergonomics of control panel and displays , safety features , cost of maintenance , ease of recharging , styling and driving
pleasure.
    Two EPIC's (Electric Powered Interurban Commuter) were among the 50
competitors in the Tour del Sol , which ran a 250-mile route from New York City
to Washington , D.C.
    Competitors ranged from production vehicles , such as the EPIC , Honda's
hybrid vehicle , the Insight and General Motors' EVI , to one-of-a-kind vehicles
designed and built by high school and college students.  The EPICs were driven
by students from Lawrence Technology University in Southfield , Michigan.
    The EPIC has a range of about 90 miles on a full charge and provides the
performance , the utility and the customer amenities of its gasoline-powered
counterpart , the Dodge Caravan.  More than 200 EPICs are on the road in
California and New York State.  Major users are the U.S. Postal Service and
Xpress Shuttle service at Los Angeles World Airport.  The vehicle's unique
fast charge capability enables users to recharge the vehicle in about 30
minutes , increasing its daily range.  In one recent test , an EPIC using fast
charge technology logged more than 350 miles in one 10-hour period.