2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid
For the most part, the green car movement has left pickup trucks on the sideline. There have been plenty of midsize and even large SUVs that offer a hybrid option, but the number of hybrid pickups has been limited. One of the main concerns is that while a hybrid drivetrain may be perfectly suitable for driving around town, it just wouldn’t be strong enough for a work truck. On top of that, most truck buyers are looking for a lot of power, of the horse variety and not the voltage kind. The 2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid may just be the start of a new trend.
Let’s cut to the chase: the fuel economy of the Silverado Hybrid is 21 mpg city, and 22 highway in rear wheel drive, and 20/21 in four wheel drive. These figures may seem paltry compared to eco-friendly cars like the Toyota Prius, but considering that this truck still packs a 332 horsepower, 367 foot-pounds of torque, V8 engine, those numbers are very impressive. A non-hybrid truck with that kind of power would have ratings in the mid-teens, if you’re lucky.
How does the Silverado Hybrid accomplish those numbers? First off are the two 80 horsepower electric motors, which are able to drive the truck up to 30 mph without the gasoline engine’s assistance. Second is the implementation of GM’s Active Fuel Management system, which will turn off four of the engine’s eight cylinders when driving under a lighter load. Also helping are tires designed to have less rolling resistance and a flatbed cover that cuts wind resistance. When the vehicle weighs of 3 tons, every little bit helps.
Now that we’ve got the fuel economy issue out of the way, the next big question is: does it still act like a truck? Surprisingly, the Silverado Hybrid is pretty impressive in this regard as well. Towing capacity does suffer quite a bit. The non-hybrid version of this vehicle is rated with a towing capacity of over 10,000 pounds, while the hybrid is only rated for 6,100 in four wheel drive. Overall payload weight is down, but only by 41 pounds compared to the non-hybrid version, coming in at 1,418 pounds. All in all, if it weren’t for the hybrid tag at the back of the vehicle, you probably wouldn’t really notice the difference, unless you regularly tow over 10,000 pounds of cargo.
As for price, that’s where it gets a little tricky. The Silverado Hybrid costs $39,000. The regular Silverado with comparable trim costs about $34,000, and has a mileage rating of 15/21. Getting the hybrid model is a safe bet if you plan on having that truck for a while, as gas prices are sure to climb back up in the next couple of years. The money saved on fill ups will even out the larger initial cost. Time will tell, but this Silverado has the best chance yet to introduce hybrid drivetrains to the pickup truck world.At Bertram’s Hotel on dvd
April 15th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
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