New Silverado and Sierra Hybrid Pickup Trucks Available to Consumers by Fall

By Trevor Hofmann,

Thursday, May 06, 2004

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GM Delivers World's First Full-Size Hybrid Pickup to Florida

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 with the world's first full-size HEV pickup truck.

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)

GM introduced its "FlexPower" hybrid Chevrolet Silverado to the media at the 10th National Clean Cities Conference and Expo in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Later in May, GM will deliver fifty new Chevrolet Silverado extended cab hybrid pickups to Miami-Dade County for fleet 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.

A hybrid Sierra will also be offered, also capable of boasting "best fuel economy of any full-size truck" specifications. (General Motors of Canada)

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, also capable of boasting "best fuel economy of any full-size truck" specifications.

"These hybrid pickups will save more fuel than gasoline-powered pickup trucks, with no compromise in performance or utility. In addition, Miami-Dade will now have the flexibility and productivity of generating wall-quality electrical power from the GM pickup truck when in remote locations," commented John Gaydash, GM Fleet and Commercial marketing director.