2005 GMC Sierra 1500 Hybrid Preview

New Hybrid Alternative Makes Sense

With the current, previously unforeseen fuel prices ruining the financial forecasts of countless contracting businesses,

Beating Toyota to the full-size hybrid truck segment, GM will bring its new Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra gasoline-electric hybrids to market later this year. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

it only makes sense to get more fuel efficient pickup trucks and SUVs to market as soon as possible.

Toyota could have had an edge in this segment if it had introduced its full-hybrid system fitted to a Tundra, but some analysts would say they dropped the ball. GM hasn't, however, and therefore will bring its new Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra gasoline-electric hybrids to a dealership near you later this year.

No other automaker has announced what seems like an absolute no-brainer, stuffing a hybrid-electric system into a vehicle class that is infamous for guzzling fuel. GM introduced its "FlexPower" hybrid

GM Director of Fleet Marketing John P. Gaydash (l to r) hands the keys to Miami-Dade Fleet Services Manager Olga Diaz and Equipment Services Manager Martin Dareff. (Gary I. Rothstein, General Motors of Canada)

powertrain to the media at the 10th National Clean Cities Conference and Expo in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Since the introduction GM delivered fifty new Chevrolet Silverado (the GMC Sierra's clone) extended cab hybrid pickups to Miami-Dade County for fleet use. Without a doubt this will just be the first of such orders, with governments and environmentally conscious corporations quick to realize that going green looks good in the public eye.

But GM's hybrid isn't just a way for politicians and corporate execs to get on the good side of environmentalists. It's also a much more efficient hauler than its gasoline-only powered equivalent. Starting with a 5.3-liter V8 and 4-speed automatic transmission, the addition of an electric motor and battery power storage allows it to achieve 10 to 12 percent improvements in fuel economy over the standard Sierra 1500 pickup.