Our team recently completed the shipment of 2026 Mazda CX-90 PHEV from Las Vegas, NV to Park City, UT. The distance was 444 miles via open trailer, costing $726.00 and totaling $1.64 per mile.
The car was driveable at pick-up time. Our blog contains information about full electric cars and standard hybrids. PHEVs represent a third situation, and customers want to know which regulations apply.
The route
The 444-mile run between Las Vegas and Park City is a climb from the Mojave into the Wasatch.
The area code 89149 is located in the northwest of Las Vegas. The drivers soon get on the I-15 highway and drive through the Moapa Valley and Mesquite, crossing the northwest of Arizona via the Virgin River Gorge.
From St. George, the I-15 highway enters Utah and keeps rising to the north as it drives through Cedar City, Beaver, and Fillmore. Further, the road passes through Nephi and Provo until the Salt Lake valley.
Near Salt Lake City, the road changes to the east and goes on the I-80 highway that climbs the Parleys Canyon into the Wasatch Range. Park City is located at the height of 7,000 feet, therefore, the driver parks in Kimball Junction.
Shipping a plug-in hybrid
The PHEV lies in the middle of the two classes that customers have known until now, and the solution is simpler than the underlying technology would suggest.
Its transportation is identical to the transportation of any other vehicle. No special trailer and no special equipment. The carriers move plug-in hybrid vehicles regularly and the high voltage system is not a problem for them.
The fuel volume should be the usual one. About a quarter of the fuel tank. This will help to transport the vehicle on board and drive it after loading without increasing the unnecessary weight of an already overloaded trailer.
The battery charge does not have to be full. Since there is a gas engine in a PHEV, the level of battery charge is not as important as in a full electric vehicle. A regular charge will suffice. There is no need to charge it before loading and nothing has to be plugged during transportation.
It’s heavier than the other two options, though. This is what you should know. A plug-in hybrid will have both the traction battery and a combustion engine, meaning that a CX-90 PHEV will weigh over 5,000 pounds, which is more than a corresponding gas SUV and even than a full EV of similar size. The carriers will make a complete pack with those statistics.
So say “PHEV” on the order instead of only the model name. A CX-90 and a CX-90 PHEV will be different weights. That is why we check up the trim and drivetrain instead of the model name.
Why $1.64 per mile
And then there are two, with the first taking precedence.
The distance comes first. With the distance of 444 miles, this is a short haul and short hauls will always have a high per mile cost. Whether the distance is 444 miles or 2,600 miles, pickup and loading are equally costly for a carrier and likewise with securement, coordination, and delivery. For a short haul like this, the fixed cost has very little distance to spread out and it takes precedence. And at $726.00, this is the cost to consider.
Vehicle weight also pushes the cost up by reason of the above. The three-row plug-in hybrid makes greater use of the weight capacity of the trailer than the sedan does.
The lane here is a favorable one. Las Vegas to Salt Lake City via I-15 is an extensively used lane.
Open transport
The CX-90 was transported in an open trailer, which is the standard selection regardless of whether the vehicle is new.
The vehicle is a new family SUV with modern factory paint. Enclosed trailers are reserved for vehicles where getting a rock chip represents an important cost issue, which is not the case for a new mass-produced SUV destined for use in a driveway. Open is also the logical solution in this size range, because enclosed trailers are limited by maximum height and length dimensions that a three-row SUV approaches.
Ground clearance was never an issue. The CX-90 is tall, so ramp angle was not an issue, and loading was very quick.
Transport summary
- Origin: Las Vegas, NV 89149
- Destination: Park City, UT 84098
- Distance: 444 miles
- Service cost: $726.00
- Cost per mile: $1.64
- Vehicle: 2026 Mazda CX-90 PHEV
- Condition: Operable
- Trailer type: Open
- Route: Las Vegas, NV → I-15 north through Mesquite and the Virgin River Gorge → St. George, UT → Cedar City, Beaver and Fillmore → Nephi and Provo → Salt Lake City → I-80 east up Parleys Canyon → Kimball Junction → Park City, UT
