Trucks don’t usually tend to make the best hybrids, their large engines and very heavy bodies mean that their gas mileage is notoriously low, and it’s difficult to keep the essence of the vehicle and still be able to improve that. People who want a truck typically want something with good towing capacity, power, and able to carry large loads. All of that added together makes it hard to save gas on the road, but with fuel economy becoming one of the most important buying decisions in automobile sales, Chevrolet thinks they can do just that.
The Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid is a brand new offering for the 2009 model year, and so most review companies are only getting their first look at it. It’s known that the truck uses GM’s 6.0L V-8 combined with a hybrid electric motor that helps with extremely low speed and coasting. Combined, the truck gets 21 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway in two-wheel drive.
The 4WD version gets just about an even 20/20. As is pretty standard for most trucks and SUV’s that are converted to hybrid models, the gas mileage offered is superior to the non-hybrid models by only a small margin, and very ‘so-so’ for the hybrid car market overall. Chevrolet hopes the new Silverado hybrid offering keeps buyers interested in their full sized line up for years to come.
You can find out more information about Hybrid Cars at ProHybrid.com along with video news, reviews, and tools such as price quotes and an automotive loan calculator.