In Contract

Demand for Pacifica hybrid models is pretty strong here in the SF Bay Area, so I decided to go ahead and sign a contract to buy one even before the car has been delivered. This is somewhat risky, since I'm buying a car that doesn't exist yet! But the reviews have been pretty good, and I'm trusting that the dealer and I will be able to sort out any issues that come up with our particular car. We got the model that we were looking for, although it took a lot of back and forth with the dealer to ensure that it actually had the features we wanted.

The dealer said they've been allocated 5 hybrid models, and that 3 of them have already been sold, so they have 2 remaining, and that they don't expect Chrysler to be making them very fast. I wish this didn't seem so plausible, but Sergio Marchionne, who runs Fiat Chrysler these days, has made it clear he doesn't like EVs, because he loses money on them, and is worried that a shift to EVs would make traditional car companies obsolete. Even though the Pacifica Hybrid seems like a very useful blend of all the things we're looking for, I worry that Chrysler will not be making many of them because it's not well aligned with the company's mission and interests. Now, I'm aware that dealers tell stories. Actually, I rather hope that the dealer was telling me a story to get me to sign this contract as quickly as possible - that a year from now there will be tons of Pacifica Hybrids on the road. But I decided to go ahead and sign the contract because I'm excited about this car and I do think they'll be hard to find, especially in the SF Bay Area. I expect to wait about a month before the car is delivered. Unfortunately, it seems that Chrysler's Vehicle Order Tracking System was discontinued, so I won't be able to watch the car be built and delivered. I'll be sure to post about how delivery goes.