2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid
The Greening of the Silverado
The Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid delivers 25 percent better fuel economy than the non-hybrid Silverado.
It's not designed to be the most fuel-efficient vehicle on the planet, but rather to offer better-than-average gas mileage for those who require the robust towing, hauling and off-road capabilities of a full-size pickup truck. And as such, the Silverado Hybrid along with its GMC twin, the Sierra Hybrid, do just that, with 25 percent better fuel economy than their conventional equivalents. That amounts to about 5 miles per gallon better gas mileage in combined city/highway driving.
While the standard Silverado pickup offers myriad combinations of seating configurations, cargo-bed lengths, powertrains and options, the Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid is available only as a short-bed four-door Crew Cab with seating for five, and a choice of rear- or four-wheel drive.
The rear-wheel-drive model gets 21 miles per gallon in the city and 22 mpg on the highway, while the four-wheel-drive version gets 20 mpg city and 20 mpg highway.
The new Silverado Hybrid uses a more sophisticated hybrid system than the previous version, which was discontinued after the 2007 model year. This system is used in the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade full-size hybrid sport utility vehicles. General Motors developed it in conjunction with BMW and Chrysler. The Chrysler Aspen Hybrid and Dodge Durango Hybrid also use this technology.
The main source of propulsion in the Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid is a 332-horsepower 6.0-liter V8 engine that saves gas by shutting down half of its cylinders when cruising under light acceleration. A special four-speed transmission incorporates two compact electric motors powered by a self-charging 300-volt battery pack located beneath the rear seat.
The Silverado Hybrid can run solely on electricity, solely on engine power, or on a combination of both, depending on how much acceleration is needed. The gasoline engine automatically powers down at idle to help conserve fuel. At highway speeds the vehicle generally runs on full engine power, with electric assistance provided when added acceleration is needed.
One of the hybrid system's electric motors powers the vehicle's accessories and lights, so neither an alternator nor a conventional lead-acid 12-volt battery are necessary.
Though one could argue that using a smaller gasoline engine would further boost the vehicle’s mileage, the Silverado Hybrid is built for serious towing and hauling. To that end, it maintains a maximum tow rating rating of 6,100 pounds when equipped with rear-wheel drive and 5,900 pounds with four-wheel drive. By comparison, the non-hybrid Chevrolet Silverado 1500 can tow 10,700 pounds when properly equipped.
According to the EPA’s mileage-cost calculator, buying the Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid will save an owner nearly $900 a year in fuel costs over a standard V8 version, with gas at $4 a gallon. It’s also eligible for a one-time $2,200 federal income tax credit that will be phased out once GM sells a total of 60,000 hybrid models.
All told, this amounts to savings of $6,700 over a typical five-year ownership period, which can go a long way toward recovering the Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid’s added cost compared to equivalent non-hybrid models.
Were it not for the large "hybrid" logos, the Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid would be virtually impossible to distinguish from its non-hybrid brethren. The front has been tweaked to reduce wind resistance and special 18-inch aluminum wheels use low-rolling-resistance tires to help improve gas mileage.
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