New 2-Mode Silvy/Sierra EPA Fuel Economy numbers posted

[PhishPhood]

The EPA has posted the 2009 FE numbers for the new 2-Mode trucks.

According to Edmund's Green Car Advisor here:http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradv...do-sierra.html

Very good numbers for full sized pickups. If one doesn't need a truck to tow all the boats in the marina these should be tops on every buyer's list. Now the pricing....Does GM want to sell them or not?

[likearock00]

The rear-wheel-drive models achieved 21 miles per gallon city, 22 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined while the 4-wheel-drive models achieved 20/20/20 mpg. The open bed crew-cab hybrid trucks scored the identical numbers as their 2009 full-body SUV siblings.

However, the conventional model with the same 6-liter V8 only manages 14 mpg city and 19 highway in RWD running on premium-grade gasoline, and only 13 mpg city and 19 highway in RWD running on regular. The EPA did not provide combined estimates for the 2008 models.

That's pretty impressive! Too bad the price will just about even out any fuel savings!

[GM-Joe]

Originally Posted by likearock00

That's pretty impressive! Too bad the price will just about even out any fuel savings!

Yes, but if you opt for the hybrid, you get the "Hybrid" trim!

[plane]

Saw a hybrid Tahoe today.
Great looking vehicle.
Not sold on the huge hybrid stickers though.

[stevecmh]

i really hope u can get it without the stickers..

good numbers though

[Bvonscott]

Thankfully all the dealers will remove the stickers if you want them to. A rear sticker on the back window would be cool though, so you can strut your greenness

[ericmvest]

During the new Tundra and Sequoia development there was talk that these vehicles would have Hybrid Synergy Drive, but I have not heard anything about this for a long time. Maybe these plans were dropped. I have heard Two-Mode Hybrid is better for trucks than Hybrid Synergy Drive.

[windvale]

I get 25 mpg highway with my Trailblazer. It's got 275 HP and can tow 6,500 lbs.

Forgive me if I'm not blown away by the hybrids numbers...

[likearock00]

Originally Posted by windvale

I get 25 mpg highway with my Trailblazer. It's got 275 HP and can tow 6,500 lbs.

Forgive me if I'm not blown away by the hybrids numbers...

I get 18 highway in my Z-71. I can get 23-25 if I drive 55. I'd really like to get some real-world numbers because I think GM almost always lowballs these numbers.

[PhishPhood]

Originally Posted by likearock00

I get 18 highway in my Z-71. I can get 23-25 if I drive 55. I'd really like to get some real-world numbers because I think GM almost always lowballs these numbers.

Using similar smart-driving techniques, a Mod at GreenHybrid.com was given an early version production model Yukon 2-Mode and was able to get 25-30 mpg using techniques that use the technology to it's fullest.

Just as you can use your brain to get the fullest out of traditional ICE technology think about what you could do with technology that improves the old school by 40%.

The biggest advantage in hybrid technology is that it addresses the worst characteristic of old-school ICE technology. City Driving.

All vehicles are 'pretty good' on the highway. V8 cars can get similar FE values to I4s and some I4s can get 40+ mpg in highway driving. These are the 'sweet spots' for the traditional technology. However none of us drive exclusively on the highway.

The weak point in the old-school ICE technology is the city driving component. Hybrids now improve that component so much that often the City driving component is even better than the prior Highway driving component. In your specific case where you can '..get 25-30 mpg if I drive 55 mph' in your traditional vehicle, consider how nice it would be if you could get ....
25-30 mpg if you drove 55 on the highway, and
25-30 mpg whenever you drove in the city as well!!!

That's a HUGE problem solved for you personally and for us as a nation. That's a fuel saving of 40-50% whenever you drive in the city.

[johnny smallblock]

I guess because it will take years to save enough on gas to equal the extra cost of the hybrid, these trucks will be mocked as heartily as the Prius. Right?

[SHOWMAN]

The numbers seem there. I like the fact it'll get 21 city, Thats better than anytruck out there. The only real bummer is the highway mileage but hybrids are more for city driving then highway.

[Ambalanche]

Originally Posted by likearock00

I get 18 highway in my Z-71. I can get 23-25 if I drive 55. I'd really like to get some real-world numbers because I think GM almost always lowballs these numbers.

Is there anywhere you can safely drive 55 mph? If I'm driving 70 on I-10 I get passed like I'm sitting still!

[ColinOpseth]

Originally Posted by ericmvest

During the new Tundra and Sequoia development there was talk that these vehicles would have Hybrid Synergy Drive, but I have not heard anything about this for a long time. Maybe these plans were dropped. I have heard Two-Mode Hybrid is better for trucks than Hybrid Synergy Drive.

Hybrid Synergy Drive is not scalable. It is an integrated system.

GM's 2-mode system can go on any vehicle that the transmission will fit in. Thus, with some work GM can transplant a 2-mode powertrain into a G8, a Corvette, etc. It's more complicated than that but the electric motors are in the transmission and the battery packs are stored elsewhere.

[AndrewGS]

I bet that I could easily average 25MPG in one of these. Too bad I don't have the coin to try.