#MinivanLife

Folks across the U.S. traveled en masse over the holiday weekend, nearing the highest numbers since the start of the pandemic. They stepped aboard flights with the option to go unmasked for the first time in years, signaling a new era of personal choice in a post-pandemic America. For those planning summer travel and wanting to avoid flight delays and minimize inflation's shock, compounded by already high airline prices, you'll choose car travel.

 

The Lifestyle Vehicle
The minivan, generally considered the mode of transport for shuttling kids between after-school activities, has become the unofficial queen of the road. Remove the stigma of middle-aged dread, and it’s truly an ideal auto: spacious, comfortable, and multifunctional. Prices for minivans are up 43%, and dealers say they can barely park them on their lots before hobbyists and adventurers snatch them up. It might all come down to rebranding the minivan. Canoo, an electric vehicle startup, will release its “lifestyle vehicle” in late 2022 (photo above).

Plugged-In
Electric minivans are en route to becoming the travel icon of the future. Volkswagon’s legendary microbus is getting a refresh, due in 2023. Mercedes Sprinters and Ford Transits, more passenger and cargo vehicles than pure minivans, are coming out as electric versions. Toyota, which makes the U.S.’s most popular minivan, the Sienna, has plans for an electric van that defies classification (part SUV, part cargo, part minivan?).

For those of us looking for a taste of the minivan life, there are Outdoorsy and Turo, a peer-to-peer rental service for camper vans or regular cars (including minivans).

Drive safely!