DaimlerChrysler calls it the Electric Powered Interurban Commuter (EPIC). The judges at the American Tour de Sol, a nationally recognized rally for alternative technology vehicles, call it a winner. Chrysler's electric minivan took top honors for customer acceptability among production vehicles in the Tour del Sol. The event is sponsored by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, Greenfield, Mass.

It was the second consecutive year that the EPIC was rated tops for customer acceptability in the annual road rally. The EPIC also took first place in the production minivan category. Two EPICs were among the 50 competitors in the Tour del Sol, which ran a 250-mile route from New York City to Washington, D.C.

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.

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, Mich.

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. 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.

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 International Airport.