G.M. Hybrid Pickup Trucks
The Low-Cost Approach to Hybrids
What’s the most common argument against hybrids? Hybrid vehicles cost more than conventional vehicles—somewhere between three and thousand bucks more—and you’ll never “make back” that money through savings at the pumps.
If you accept that argument (and not everybody does), then what would happen if you produced a less expensive hybrid, which produced at least some of the fuel-saving benefits—and you placed that system in the largest most fuel-consuming vehicles? Wouldn’t that tell a more compelling cost-benefit story? This is what General Motors has in mind with their pickup trucks.
The Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid and GMC Sierra Hybrid are now available in all 50 states. These hybrid pick-up trucks are designed to:
Pick-up truck drivers can easily use 1,000 gallons of fuel per year. At three dollars-per-gallon, the savings from the hybrid system would add up to $300 per year. With potential tax incentives of about $250, strong resale value, and gas prices heading north from three bucks, the payback equation begins to make sense.
Never mind that the 10 percent jump may only take the real-world mpg from about 16 to 18. “This is the part where the market hasn’t quite adjusted. They think hybrids should get 50 miles per gallon,” said Steve Poulos, G.M.’s chief engineer of belt alternator starter hybrid system and flywheel alternator starter hybrid systems. “The reality is you have to look by class of vehicle. We’re talking about full size trucks. Truck drivers tend to drive fairly high mileage. A lot of times, they drive loaded. They consume a lot of fuel. You go for a fill-up on one of these trucks and you can spend upwards of 50 bucks on a regular basis, if not closer to $100.”
The End of Idle
The 2006 G.M. pickup trucks have what the auto company calls a "flywheel alternator starter hybrid system (FAS)." When the trucks are slowing down or come to a stop, the fuel is shut off. Instead of a conventional starter motor and alternator, the hybrid truck features a compact electric motor integrated between the engine and transmission. The electric motor provides fast, quiet starting power and the ability to generate up to 14,000 watts of continuous electric power. The electricity generated by the system can be stored temporarily in the 42-volt battery pack and used later to enable auto-starts. The system does not power the truck forward at lower speeds, or provide any extra oomph for passing—the way Honda’s power assist system works or the way future G.M. hybrids will work.
The Christian Science Monitor says, “The Sierra shows that no new car should idle anymore.” If these trucks prove that every car can and should stop spewing pollution when sitting in a traffic jam, it would serve a noble purpose. Furthermore, the flywheel alternator system used in the G.M. trucks is a calibrated to turn off the engine more often and more consistently than idle-stop systems utilized in most of the smaller hybrids, suggesting that all hybrid-makers might have room to be more aggressive in their idle-stop functions.
But That’s Not All. Act Now and Get a Free Clean-Burning Generator.
While the 10 percent gain in fuel economy is the main selling point, the Silverado and Sierra hybrids have a bonus feature: they act as power generators, with two conventional, three-prong plug-ins under the rear seat, and two more in the back of the bed. The four 120-volt, 20 amp electrical auxiliary power outlets can provide power to electric saws, grinders, hairdryers or laptops. The juice is activated while the truck is running. And with the shifter in PARK, the driver can choose to turn the truck into a stationary generator and walk away with the keys in his pocket. The power supply circuits are protected by a ground fault detection system so overloads and short circuits can be avoided. According to G.M., the new hybrid pickups could maintain power for up to 32 hours non-stop before needing to fill the tank. (They shut off before the gas tank is completely drained, so drivers won’t be stranded.)
“You’re getting a 2,400 watt generator built into the truck, covered by the powertrain warranty,” said Poulos. “It’s clean, because it’s using the engine to drive it, and it’s going through the catalyst system. From an emissions standpoint, it’s miles ahead of any generator you’re going to find out there.”
Silverado or Sierra?
As for the differences between the Silverado and Sierra: Popular Mechanics says, "G.M. would have you think these trucks aren't twins. But the fact is, the only difference between these trucks is front sheet metal and badging. Pick the styling you like better, or play the GMC and Chevy dealers against each other."
Lessons For Future G.M. Hybrids
The flywheel alternator starter hybrid pickups are just a stop along the way for General Motors. The Saturn VUE Hybrid, available in 2006, and the Chevy Malibu, available in 2007, will use G.M.’s belt alternator starter system. Also, in 2007, GM will launch a two-mode full hybrid system in its full-size SUVs, the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon.
At that point, G.M. will have offered the FAS for four model years (in a slow evolving rollout beginning in 2004 with fleets, in 2005 to retail outlets in six-states only, and with the 2006 model to all 50 states.) Poulos said, “It’s been an incredible learning experience. It’s been the way that we’ve developed our engineering structure inside the company, to learn how to handle a hybrid powertrain. If you look at what Toyota did, they started small and local in Japan. They learned, and went to another generation with similar products. They upgraded their system. We’re doing a similar thing in full-size trucks.”
What’s the most common argument against hybrids? Hybrid vehicles cost more than conventional vehicles—somewhere between three and thousand bucks more—and you’ll never “make back” that money through savings at the pumps.
If you accept that argument (and not everybody does), then what would happen if you produced a less expensive hybrid, which produced at least some of the fuel-saving benefits—and you placed that system in the largest most fuel-consuming vehicles? Wouldn’t that tell a more compelling cost-benefit story? This is what General Motors has in mind with their pickup trucks.
The Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid and GMC Sierra Hybrid are now available in all 50 states. These hybrid pick-up trucks are designed to:
- Cost only $1,500 more than their conventional counterparts
- Produce a 10 percent improvement in fuel economy
- Sacrifice not one iota of power
Pick-up truck drivers can easily use 1,000 gallons of fuel per year. At three dollars-per-gallon, the savings from the hybrid system would add up to $300 per year. With potential tax incentives of about $250, strong resale value, and gas prices heading north from three bucks, the payback equation begins to make sense.
Never mind that the 10 percent jump may only take the real-world mpg from about 16 to 18. “This is the part where the market hasn’t quite adjusted. They think hybrids should get 50 miles per gallon,” said Steve Poulos, G.M.’s chief engineer of belt alternator starter hybrid system and flywheel alternator starter hybrid systems. “The reality is you have to look by class of vehicle. We’re talking about full size trucks. Truck drivers tend to drive fairly high mileage. A lot of times, they drive loaded. They consume a lot of fuel. You go for a fill-up on one of these trucks and you can spend upwards of 50 bucks on a regular basis, if not closer to $100.”
The End of Idle
The 2006 G.M. pickup trucks have what the auto company calls a "flywheel alternator starter hybrid system (FAS)." When the trucks are slowing down or come to a stop, the fuel is shut off. Instead of a conventional starter motor and alternator, the hybrid truck features a compact electric motor integrated between the engine and transmission. The electric motor provides fast, quiet starting power and the ability to generate up to 14,000 watts of continuous electric power. The electricity generated by the system can be stored temporarily in the 42-volt battery pack and used later to enable auto-starts. The system does not power the truck forward at lower speeds, or provide any extra oomph for passing—the way Honda’s power assist system works or the way future G.M. hybrids will work.
The Christian Science Monitor says, “The Sierra shows that no new car should idle anymore.” If these trucks prove that every car can and should stop spewing pollution when sitting in a traffic jam, it would serve a noble purpose. Furthermore, the flywheel alternator system used in the G.M. trucks is a calibrated to turn off the engine more often and more consistently than idle-stop systems utilized in most of the smaller hybrids, suggesting that all hybrid-makers might have room to be more aggressive in their idle-stop functions.
But That’s Not All. Act Now and Get a Free Clean-Burning Generator.
While the 10 percent gain in fuel economy is the main selling point, the Silverado and Sierra hybrids have a bonus feature: they act as power generators, with two conventional, three-prong plug-ins under the rear seat, and two more in the back of the bed. The four 120-volt, 20 amp electrical auxiliary power outlets can provide power to electric saws, grinders, hairdryers or laptops. The juice is activated while the truck is running. And with the shifter in PARK, the driver can choose to turn the truck into a stationary generator and walk away with the keys in his pocket. The power supply circuits are protected by a ground fault detection system so overloads and short circuits can be avoided. According to G.M., the new hybrid pickups could maintain power for up to 32 hours non-stop before needing to fill the tank. (They shut off before the gas tank is completely drained, so drivers won’t be stranded.)
“You’re getting a 2,400 watt generator built into the truck, covered by the powertrain warranty,” said Poulos. “It’s clean, because it’s using the engine to drive it, and it’s going through the catalyst system. From an emissions standpoint, it’s miles ahead of any generator you’re going to find out there.”
Silverado or Sierra?
As for the differences between the Silverado and Sierra: Popular Mechanics says, "G.M. would have you think these trucks aren't twins. But the fact is, the only difference between these trucks is front sheet metal and badging. Pick the styling you like better, or play the GMC and Chevy dealers against each other."
Lessons For Future G.M. Hybrids
The flywheel alternator starter hybrid pickups are just a stop along the way for General Motors. The Saturn VUE Hybrid, available in 2006, and the Chevy Malibu, available in 2007, will use G.M.’s belt alternator starter system. Also, in 2007, GM will launch a two-mode full hybrid system in its full-size SUVs, the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon.
At that point, G.M. will have offered the FAS for four model years (in a slow evolving rollout beginning in 2004 with fleets, in 2005 to retail outlets in six-states only, and with the 2006 model to all 50 states.) Poulos said, “It’s been an incredible learning experience. It’s been the way that we’ve developed our engineering structure inside the company, to learn how to handle a hybrid powertrain. If you look at what Toyota did, they started small and local in Japan. They learned, and went to another generation with similar products. They upgraded their system. We’re doing a similar thing in full-size trucks.”
posted by Ottawa Gas Prices | 7:18 PM
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