2005 Chevy Silverado Hybrid Preview

The Right Truck for the Right Time

Doing the "right thing" and opting for a hybrid vehicle (HEV) doesn't have to mean giving up practicality, even if you need the use of a truck. At least this will be true once

General Motors will be the worlds' first to market with a full-size hybrid pickup truck. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

the summer is over and the annual barrage of new vehicles start to go on sale across the nation.

At this time Honda and Toyota won't only be joined by Ford in the race for hybrid gasoline-electric buyers this fall, with the introduction of its long anticipated Escape Hybrid, but General Motors will be the worlds' first to market with a full-size HEV pickup truck.

If there ever was an automotive application that needed hybrid power, the light truck category is it. GM introduced its "FlexPower" hybrid powertrain to the media at the 10th National Clean Cities Conference and Expo in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Since the introduction the domestic automaker delivered fifty new Chevrolet Silverado extended cab hybrid pickups to Miami-Dade County for fleet

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. (Photo: Gary I. Rothstein, General Motors of Canada)

use. No doubt this will just be the first of such orders, with governments and environmentally conscious corporations quick to pick up on trends that prove popular in the public eye.

But the Silverado 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 garner from 10 to 12 percent better fuel economy over the standard GM 1500 pickup. A hybrid Sierra will also be offered, capable of boasting "best fuel economy of any full-size truck" specifications as well.