singh chevrolet, hybrid chevy truck blog

Starting late 2008, Chevrolet will introduce its first hybrid truck, the Silverado Hybrid. This will be the first Hybrid Truck on the market. The Silverado Hybrid will be built on the same Hybrid powertrain as the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and the GMC Yukon Hybrid. The 2009 Silverado Hybrid will use a 6.0L V-8 and Electrically Variable Transmission (EMT), a 300-volt NiMH battery, and Active Fuel Management. The Silverado Hybrid will then be able to drive up to 30 mph on electricity alone and operate in 4-V power more often. The Silverado Hybrid works in two modes. The first mode, for low speed and light loads, operates in three different ways: electric power, engine power, or in any combination of the two. You get all the efficiency of a full hybrid system while operating with electric power. The second mode is used at highway speeds to optimize efficiency, providing electric assist in addition to four-cylinder or full eight-cylinder power while towing and climbing steep grades. In other words, the Silverado Hybrid does not lose the performance expected of a traditional full-size pickup truck. So tow away!

Now that Chevrolet has launched production of the Tahoe full-sized SUVs with the Two-Mode hybrid system, it’s time to spread the wealth. Along with the Chevrolet Tahoe hybrid, the full-sized Silverado pickup truck is also getting the hybrid treatment. Singh Chevrolet will be featuring this new technology as soon as possible! Like it’s enclosed, eight-seat cousin, the pickup will get a forty percent boost in city mileage with a twenty-five percent bump overall. The beauty of the two-mode system in these applications is that gives a substantial boost in fuel efficiency without sacrificing the fundamental functionality of the vehicle. The two-wheel-drive Silverado hybrid can still tow 6,100 lbs thanks to the 6.0L V-8. The hybrid system allows increased use of the cylinder deactivation so that the engine runs on four cylinders under light load, with the electric drive providing power for acceleration when needed. Also like the SUV version, the pickup has been tuned to operate with less noise under all conditions so that the difference between all-electric and engine drive modes is not as jarring. Depending on the battery state of charge, the truck can run over a mile on electricity alone at speeds up to 30 mph. The Silverado hybrid goes into production in second half of 2008. 

[Source: General Motors]

2009 CHEVROLET SILVERADO HYBRID AT A GLANCE:  

> The only hybrid full-size pickup

> Silverado Crew Cab body style; 2WD and 4WD

> GM’s patented 2-Mode Hybrid system delivers 40-percent improved city fuel economy and 25-percent combined fuel economy gain

> All-electric drive up to 30 mpg (48 km/h)

> 6.0L V-8 engine with Active Fuel Management and late-intake valve closing technology

> 6,100-lb. (2,767 kg) towing capacity (2WD)

> Cruising range of more than 500 miles

> On sale in late 2008  

Here is the latest press release >>> Read the rest of this entry »

Now that the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid has offically launched and is now at Singh Chevrolet, the next “gas-Friendly” truck will be the Silverado Hybrid. We expect that the successful ”two-mode” hybrid system will carry over to the Silverado with little change.

Official specs are not out yet, but based on the current size and position of the battery pack used in the Tahoe, you can expect the first Silverado to go Hybrid to be the 4-door Crew Cab model.

Since the Silverado Crew Cab Short Bed weighs less than a Tahoe, the gas savings of the Hybrid system should be even more dramatic in the Silverado. With 5 passengers on board and a full load in the truck bed, the gas savings may not be that much more. We will have to wait and see. However, with $4.00 per gallon gas expected to be the norm as soon as 2010, any increase in fuel mileage will be welcome.

Check back on our blog. We will post what we hear from Chevrolet.