2004 Silverado Hybrid roadtest pickuptruck.com

[91 s-10baja]

http://www.pickuptruck.com/html/2004...rid/page1.html

[HEVguy]

Good article, but it was too short for me... It left me wanting more information.

Anyway, I drove one of these prototypes last Nov. ('03) and I liked it a lot, really can't tell there is much of a difference operationally, except when the motor is restarting from a stop light.

I wish they had more aggressive hybrid features, like acceleration assist, but that'll have to wait until the Gen 2 (and for a more powerfull battery pack). Oh yea, that reminds me, IF you had to replace the battery (Lead Acid) in this, the GM guy told me it would probably be <$500. That is ~1/10 the cost to replace the Prius battery pack (Nickel Metal Hydride)!

[HEVguy]

True, this is a pretty mild hybrid, but this is also a more usefull truck with a built-in generator for contractors to power tools, campers to power accessories, emergency back-up, etc... The fact that it has a built in generator also helps pay for the "hybrid" option with the added utility. Plus, as the author mentioned, this hybrid makes no additional compromises to gain efficiency AND is a less expensive "option" than the premium the Prius carries.

I just wish they released it from the start with DoD, instead I don't think it is supposed to get DoD until 2006 or 2007.

[Erunion]

Originally Posted by Buick61

Eh, a minor entry into the Hybrid game. But it's a good learning step for GM. Too bad that Ford and Toyota really need to have such a ultra-mild hybrid on the market. They just came out of the gate with strong hybrids. No need for a baby step.

its the same setup as Honda's

[91 s-10baja]

I feel GM had the correct strategy, applying the technology albeit mild, to it's larger vehicles (PU's, and buses), the most fuel consuming. Smaller vehicles generally already get higher mileage anyway. I think it is a great step.

[AmericanREV]

Yeah, I do think it's good that GM builds plenty of Hybrid buses, etc. But I wish they'd get as much credit as toyota gets.

Also, I'm glad GM doesn't sell out and produce a truck that's not a truck.

[TiburonJT]

GM doesn't seem to get much credit for their hybrid buses, that is a shame because they deserve it. It's good to hear the battery for these is much less than the one for the Prius, as I would expect. The price for the battery in the Prius will cause a problem imo. Who is going to spend that much money on a battery for a car that is getting old? No one. So then we will be dumping vehicles that are otherwise still good. I guess all of this is a good first step.

[StevenJ]

They are applying it to where fuel ecconomy matters the most, that is on heavy haulers. Most trucks get between 15-19 mpg. Even though I don't like hybrids, I think you end up wasting more on batteries than you ever would on gas, I applaud GM for applying the technolnogy where it's needed most.

[72chevelle]

I think it is a smart move to make a mild hybrid first because it won't cost as much as a full hybrid vehicle. Demand for hybrid vehicles isn't that high yet anyway, so GM won't offer a more expensive full hybrid until the demand for a better hybrid is needed. GM does have the technology for a better hybrid they are using it in buses, they just don't see the need for it in their cars or trucks yet.

[T-Keith]

Looks like for now, the DOD technology has superior benefits for fuel economy. It has to cost less too.

-T

[HEVguy]

Originally Posted by StevenJ

...Even though I don't like hybrids, I think you end up wasting more on batteries than you ever would on gas, I applaud GM for applying the technolnogy where it's needed most.

StevenJ, I don't mean to single you out, but you bring up a good point... The key benefit of "wasting more on batteries" is that once a battery dies, you can recycle the materials and build more batteries... once gas is burnt, it is gone.

That is one thing that doesn't make sense when people argue the 'miles until the hybrid option pays for itself' stance... It is also paying more for a vehicle that will (a) help to prolong limited gasoline resources (someday it'll be used up), and (b) help work toward higher efficiencies/technologies that may depend on renewable resources. Since the gasoline supply industry is so mature, it is difficult to compete.

Now people may argue that paying for this "hybrid" option for my reasons above just makes people feel like they are acting more responsibly, but people pay $2500+ for "performance package" options all the time. Why do people pay for "performance" options? Because it just helps them feel/act more agile, sporty, nimble, capable, etc... in their driving, so what is the difference, other than personal preference toward one personality trait or another?

[KingElvis]

In this case, the hybrid offers benefits to contractors and rec users, both of whom can run very heavy power draining accessories, like tools or computers/appliances etc, off of the 110 volt power outlet.

The article said the motor doesn't help power the pickup, it's just there to quickly start the engine when it cuts off at stoplights - too bad.

This truly is a 'baby step' but on the other hand, they are offering an accessory power utility that the regular gas engine doesn't have.

Recommendations:

Make the motor/battery bigger - potentially enough so that the truck could power on electric only below 10mph. That would be great for sportsmen who don't want to scare away prey by running the much louder combustion engine.

In fact the Army is already working up prototypes like this for more stealthy special ops.

They would be cheaper than the Hummer and with cheaper replacement parts - just as the Army bought 6.2 Diesel Blazers and Pickups in '84.

Include options to take advantage of the massive battery power - like an integral electric winch to retrieve big game downed in a ravine, or to securely pull the truck across stream crossings without worry of being swept away by swift current.

Tie the hybrid power to the bigger engine. By making a much greater number of hybrid 5.3L engines, the price will go down because of economies of scale, thereby reducing the cost to consumers and making the gas mileage trade off more sensible, so that the cost could be recouped in 4 or 5 years, then you'd have higher resale value as well because of the greater flexibility, economy and utility for the second buyer. By choosing the 5.3/hybrid (and having a bigger motor that would actually help power the wheels) you would be getting the best of both worlds - better economy than the 4.8, plus far superior power.

Making all the 5.3Ls hybrids would channel the buyer's desire for more power and utility into aiding GM's CAFE standing, rather than the current situation where buying more power hurts GMs CAFE.

[MelvinJ]

Originally Posted by Buick61

Eh, a minor entry into the Hybrid game. But it's a good learning step for GM. Too bad that Ford and Toyota really need to have such a ultra-mild hybrid on the market. They just came out of the gate with strong hybrids. No need for a baby step.

GM's first hybrids on the market were the city buses. Full hybrids in every sense of the word, 60 percent better mileage than conventional powertrains. No baby steps here either.

The mild setup in the Silverado is probably a wise way to test the market. No one else has done any hybrid pickups yet, so it's unknown just how much people would pay at this point. Going by the premium for the Civic hybrid (about 19% by my calculations), that would put the price of a Silverado "full" hybrid about $5400 above the regular one, and that's a pretty steep price to pay for a market that doesn't exactly embrace fuel economy as the ultimate virtue. Diesels get that premium by providing fuel savings AND huge sustainable torque gains.

Plus, you'd lose capability by going with a smaller engine like the other "full" hybrids do because the electric motor assist is only there as long as the batteries have power - if you are towing a heavy load on the highway (or worse, up long mountain grades), the assist will be long gone before any regen can happen. Or you could retain the towing power by going with the same engine as the regular models, but then you compromise the fuel savings. Either way, the complainers and bashers of the world will have a field day with it.