Review – 2011 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid is a Fantasy in Reality

Posted by Christian Wardlaw on September 16th, 2011

When you think “hybrid,” you think fuel economy. We averaged 16.7 mpg over a week of driving the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid, not bad for a full-size, crew cab pickup with four-wheel drive, but a far cry from EPA estimates of 20 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway. Again, we ask, what is the EPA actually doing with our tax dollars? Throwing darts at a board? Regurgitating what automakers tell them?

It wasn’t for lack of trying to hit that magical 20-mpg mark. We accelerated gently around town, we motored silently through parking lots, we didn’t exercise the Silverado’s 1,553-pound payload capacity, we didn’t tow its maximum trailer weight of 6,100 pounds, and we didn’t go off-roading. Even a highway trip right after accepting the keys to the truck couldn’t get the Silverado Hybrid’s fuel economy beyond 17.8 mpg, and that initial ride included a 700-foot drop in elevation.

And Now, a Little History Lesson

In his book, “Car Guys vs. Bean Counters,” former General Motors Vice Chairman Robert Lutz (known as Maximum Bob to his fans within the car industry) recounts GM’s forays into hybrid, electric, and fuel-cell vehicles, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the decision-making process around alternative propulsion technologies at the world’s largest automaker. In the chapter devoted to this subject, Lutz touches on the rationale behind the development of the two-mode hybrid system that’s installed in the 2011 Chevy Silverado Hybrid:

“Faced with the pressure of hybridization, GM did commit the massive sums required to engineer and produce our very sophisticated, ultracapable two-mode hybrid system for full-size trucks and sport-utilities. Our thinking was that if you’re going to spend thousands of dollars per vehicle to save 25 percent on fuel, why not do it on the large vehicles that consume a lot of fuel (and that the public wants to buy) rather than on a less-desirable small vehicle that doesn’t use much fuel in the first place?”

In the mid-2000s, when GM entered into a co-development agreement with BMW and DaimlerChrysler to create the two-mode hybrid powertrain, this strategy probably made a whole bunch of sense. GM’s new full-size pickup truck and SUV platform was about to debut for the 2007 model year, the company was taking a bunch of heat from environmentalists for building the Hummer H2, and the economy was booming on the strength of artificially inflated home values. It sure didn’t hurt that the two-mode technology was originally designed for commercial use in hybrid transit buses and was scaled down for civilian duty, a situation that certainly must have influenced the decision to focus on hybridizing bigger rather than smaller vehicles.

But then the recession started, gas prices skyrocketed, home values tanked, waves of foreclosures hit, and stunned Americans didn’t want big V8-powered vehicles anymore, especially ones wearing $50,000 sticker prices, even if they promised 20 mpg or more and word gleaming green “Hybrid” badges.

Do Truck Buyers Want A Hybrid?

Given the Silverado Hybrid’s compromises in payload and towing capacity, its marginal real-world fuel economy gains, its starting price of just under $40,000, and its relative rarity on American highways and byways, we’re guessing the answer is no. And maybe I’m just self-conscious, but in my little corner of the world, a region where hybrid vehicles are revered rather than ridiculed, it seemed that more than one of my fellow truck drivers regarded the Silverado’s “Hybrid” badges with derision.

It’s not just GM that’s having trouble marketing the two-mode hybrid. BMW installs the pricey technology in the low-volume 7 Series and lower-volume X6 thingamabob, and Chrysler built a handful of Aspen and Durango SUVs with the system before pulling the plug after a matter of months.

In hindsight, perhaps GM might have developed a turbo-diesel V6 or V8, thus preserving the Silverado’s ability to tow and haul while simultaneously preserving its owner’s Man Card through a signature diesel clatter, all while delivering improved fuel economy over traditional gas engines.

Of course, that tactic wouldn’t have served to quiet the environmentalists, would it?

Driving the Silverado Hybrid

GM claims that the Silverado can get up to 30 mph on electric power alone, making it a full hybrid vehicle. Accelerate gently from an intersection, and the electric assist motors get the truck moving before the 6.0-liter V8 engine kicks in. But even after the gasoline V8 fires up, it burbles at low revs unless you really put your foot into it, which results in a traditional V8 roar and capable acceleration for merging onto the highway.

Out on the open road, the Silverado Hybrid V8’s Active Fuel Management system shuts down half of the truck’s eight cylinders to help conserve gas. Bring the truck to a stop, and an automatic stop/start function shuts the gas engine down when decelerating and when waiting for the light to change.

The regenerative brakes are a little bit grabby and hard to modulate smoothly, a common characteristic of such energy-capturing systems, but the driver acclimates easily enough. Electric power steering doesn’t draw undue attention to itself, but we’re not fans of the thin-rimmed, old-school GM steering wheel in this truck. Something meatier, with a softened radius on the leading edge, would be appreciated.

For the most part, the Silverado Hybrid operates transparently. Then again, we used it for suburban commuting and weekend warrior duty, chores for which this truck is designed. As a crew cab model, the lengthy Silverado can be a bit challenging in tight strip-mall parking lots, but from the driver’s seat the Chevy feels smaller than other full-size pickups. It isn’t, really, but the compact dashboard design, small controls, wide seats, and clear sightlines make it feel more maneuverable.

Interior Comfort and Design

Comfort is good, but not great. The upper door panels are not wide enough to serve as a ledge upon which the front seat occupants can rest their arms, the steering wheel is uncomfortable to grip, and getting into the rear seats is a little challenging because the back bench sits forward in relationship to the B-pillar. The big, wide, supportive seats, however, are clearly designed for a ballooning American populace in no particular hurry to get anywhere.

One thing we think Chevy needs to address with the Silverado (and the truck’s GMC counterpart, the Sierra) is the size of the buttons and controls on the dashboard. Too many of them are too small, with even more diminutive markings, which strikes us as completely out of step with the traditional truck buyer, who likely has big stubby fingers that are frequently covered in work or winter gloves.

Cargo Capability

As it turned out, we needed a truck the week the Silverado was visiting. Our test truck had a three-piece hard tonneau cover over the bed, which is designed to smooth airflow and improve highway fuel economy. It can be unlatched at the corners of the bed and removed, or it can be folded back by section to accommodate taller items.

We found the tonneau to be a nuisance, but a not a problem. Just one tip: don’t get on the highway if you’ve just got the rear third of it folded back. It will blow back into place once the truck gets above 50 mph.

Final Thoughts

The Chevy Silverado remains an appealing full-size truck even after five years on the market. It strikes us as a simple, honest truck, free of the overdone faux-industrial design details that adorn Fords and Rams and Toyotas. We like the styling of the GMC Sierra better, but the Chevy’s a looker, too.

The Silverado Hybrid best serves the personal-use buyer, and if the price tag were lower it would be a clear candidate for recommendation. The trouble is, those EPA fuel economy estimates are a fantasy.

Still, in looking back at the pickup trucks Vehix has test driven in the past year, this Silverado Hybrid performed better than other full-size models by nearly two miles per gallon on average. Even the smaller, V6-equipped Honda Ridgeline managed just 17.4 mpg, and most of those miles were covered on the highway.

From this perspective, the Silverado Hybrid is adequately serving its purpose, even if the incremental gains in fuel economy prove to be rather pricey.

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7. Top 3 Truck Deals for September 2011 – Pickup Truck Incentives and Rebates
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