Several years into an actual battery-electric pickup truck market, a few things have grown to be obvious — while BEV trucks are great for urban and hobbyist usage, they have some shortcomings when it comes to towing. At the same time, hybrid trucks from Ford and Toyota have built solid ground with consumers, and although GM threw all its weight behind its Ultium battery technology, it feels like the General needs something in between the regular Silverado and the Silverado EV. A Silverado Hybrid of sorts. The thing is, GM actually used to have a hybrid half-ton pickup truck that could put electric power to the ground, and it came out more than fifteen freaking years ago. So what happened?
Over time, General Motors has developed a reputation for pioneering, never following through, and then getting absolutely steamrolled because it blew a head-start. See the cathode-ray touchscreen infotainment system in the Buick Reatta, the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle, and the GM EV1. The Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid and GMC Sierra Hybrid were also victims of GM killing its darlings, and in an age of flattening electric pickup truck demand, such a slaughter puts GM on the back foot.
Welcome back to GM Hit Or Miss, where we pick through the aftermath of GM’s blunderbuss-like pre-bankruptcy product planning to see what hit its target, what got lodged in the neighbor’s lawn flamingo, and what sent the operator to urgent care. Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone.
Inauspicious Beginnings
The first production hybrid half-ton GM pickup truck debuted in 2004, but it wasn’t like any hybrid we’re familiar with today. In fact, it was a mild hybrid system slightly weirder than the 48-volt integrated starter-generator setups you see on modern cars. In the beginning, it sounds normal — a motor/generator unit inside the bellhousing was responsible for starting, charging, and powering accessories, but it doesn’t operate on a 48-volt system. Instead, GM threw three extra 14-volt lead-acid batteries under the rear seat, and this system ran on 42 volts.
However, there was a big perk to this mild hybrid system — four 20-amp 120-volt plug sockets for powering anything from tools to laptops. Initially, availability was limited to fleet sales only for 2004, before expanding to Alaska, California, Florida, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Canada towards the end of 2005, then to the rest of America for 2006. While not a hybrid as we think of them today, GM could call this GMT800 a hybrid and scoop up some marketing kudos with a limited initial launch before giving a proper series/parallel setup a shot.
Are You Ready For The Sequel
For the next generation of Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, GM bet big thanks to a major investment in something called the Global Hybrid Cooperation. This alliance between General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, and BMW bore only a handful of models, but it did result in a power-split hybrid system using two motor/generator units, four clutches, and a series of planetary gearsets to offer four fixed ratios and two variable ranges of ratios in order to keep everything smooth. This colorized chart from the patent filing is here to give you a general overview of how things went.
See, GM called this system the two-mode hybrid system because its transmission had Two effective ranges, one which splits input power so that the speed of the second motor/generator is proportional to the speed of the input shaft, and one called compound-split mode for higher vehicle speeds that never keeps the second motor/generator speed proportional to that of the input shaft. It’s an astoundingly complex yet effective system, and one that GM first implemented in the 2008 GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs.
Admittedly, this hybrid system did come hitched to a six-liter pushrod V8 which despite cylinder deactivation, probably wasn’t the most efficient option in GM’s arsenal, but it also came with a nickel-metal hydride battery pack and could properly motivate an apartment building-sized SUV on electric power alone, for a brief period of time. It also boosted city fuel economy by a whopping seven MPG, and while that doesn’t sound like much in the grand scheme of things, 14 MPG to 21 MPG is a 50 percent improvement.
One model year later, the two-mode hybrid system came to the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, and with it came compromises. While the hybrid powertrain was fine for most SUV buyers, capability limits capped towing capacity to 6,100 pounds on two-wheel-drive models, and payload fell from 1,883 pounds on regular six-liter trucks with the max towing package to 1,511 pounds. Alright, maybe that would be a worthwhile tradeoff if real-world fuel economy matched EPA numbers, but the experience of Car And Driver suggested the hybrid half-tons didn’t quite hold up their end of the bargain.
Our experiences with this truck—and a virtually identical Silverado hybrid—didn’t quite measure up to the EPA’s expectations. We logged 14 mpg with the Silverado hybrid, and that included about 300 miles of towing a 4600-pound trailer; we managed a little over 16 mpg with the unladen Sierra hybrid.
Now, this might’ve been fine if performance was on par with gasoline-powered trucks, but Car And Driver did note a difference in acceleration times with test track numbers it pulled from a Sierra Hybrid.
Hybrid owners can also expect more leisurely acceleration, about a half-second slower to 60 mph (8.2 seconds) and in the quarter-mile (16.3 seconds at 87 mph), than nonhybrid versions, although this shouldn’t be an issue for a potential owner. No one buys trucks like this to go fast.
Alright, so the magazine has a point about speed, but once you add up the real-world performance, economy, and cost of the Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid and GMC Sierra Hybrid, these electrified pickup trucks became a difficult proposition. Oh, and that’s without taking the state of the world at the time into account.
A Victim Of Timing?
Here’s the thing — the Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid and GMC Sierra Hybrid could’ve totally been at least moderately successful, but only if the American economy didn’t absolutely tank. Even with mediocre real-world performance, it could’ve still made sense in a world with expensive gas and decent consumer liquidity. However, 2008 happened, and the front fell off of the global markets. In America, a subprime housing bubble popped, leaving people homeless and in debt for foreclosure losses. Gas prices, having soared above $4 a gallon, plummeted to well below $3 per gallon. Cheap little economy cars made cheaper by cash-for-clunkers subsidization were the name of the game, not luxury pickup trucks that started at $42,535 in four-wheel-drive trim, at least for the Chevrolet.
So, the GMT900 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid and GMC Sierra Hybrid were misses, but first-generation technology is rarely perfect. Unfortunately, they missed hard enough that GM never developed the concept further. Fifteen years since the launch, the General now finds itself playing catch-up with Ford and Toyota. Ain’t that something?
(Photo credits: Chevrolet, GMC)
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I worked with a small fleet at an airport and we had one of the gm hybrid pick ups. I remember reading the big V8 was chosen so it would stay in 4cyl mode more often. We did tons of work truck stuff (but never offroad), towed way over to 50,000lbs at low speed/short distance and had people working in them all day, lots of idling, it was really easy in those conditions and even in city driving to keep it in 4cyl. We also had cars (typically fleet stuff, the amazing V8 Crown Vic, V6 Impala and V6 intrepid).
I did a 2 month fuel use comparison to try and get more hybrids, at the time we also had F250 and ram 1500. The hybrid got better real world fuel economy than the V8 Crown Vic, was a few % off of the V6 cars, did all the truck stuff of the others and was about double the f250 which if I remember was around 6-7mpg.
The most interesting part was testing idle ac use. The gm hybrid ran the engine half the time. I never did a test in winter but our fuel use spiked a ton as everyone just kept trucks running constantly so much so that a finance guy accused us of fuel theft because there was no way cars would be getting so low mpg.
It lasted just as long as the others trucks in our fleet too.
It’s also not fair to say gm blew this, dodge had the aspen and BMW the x6 that used the same from the hybrid alliance and Combi they probably made less than gm did.
Do you think these trucks would still be reliable if you picked up a 16 year old one today…if you could find one that isn’t rusted out? I always wanted a hybrid escalade… but didn’t trust that it would really save me much money on fuel if the technology wasn’t bulletproof.
I’ve had good luck running toyota lexus and lincoln hybrids as taxis.
I want a suburban or escalade but have been reluctant to pull the trigger on for fear of getting some gm surprises
Not sure about the rest of the vehicle, but just in terms of the batteries, the individual modules inside of the case are the same NiMH modules used in Toyota hybrids….Rebuilding them is the same process and it’s not difficult
Gm = Microsoft…5 years too early, or 5 years too late. Either way, never on time.
So far ahead that they ended up behind.
Next you’re going to tell me they sold electric cars with supplemental gasoline engines to prevent range anxiety a decade ago.
Anyone remember the Vue Hybrid? I remember it saved more from start/stop, low resistant tires and removing the roof rack than the actual electric assist.
They also had an affordable EV with decent range not too long ago. But the Hummer EV is here now!
All of the American hybrids pre great recession got hit hard. Dodge had one with the Durango. (very rare now) The Malibu hybrid was pretty horrible when it came to saving gas. My 2012 ecotec Malibu with a 6 speed auto got comparable mileage to a 2008 Hybrid. I always wondered how the Escape Hybrid was when it came to fuel savings. In the end Toyota did a better job.
I had a 2005 Escape Hybrid and it was awesome. Pushed 30mpg with performance on par with the 16mpg V6 model, and that as a 4×4. It had the same hybrid design as a Prius, unlike these Chevys that are basically an add-on hybrid. And very reliable. 250k miles on mine without any problems.
I had two 2005 FEHs. Wonderful cars. The reason they were so reliable was Ford was buying the hybrid transmissions from Aisin; a partially owned subsidiary of Toyota. The reason it was Prius-like was because it was Prius technology! Weber Auto has a wonderful youtube channel with teardowns and comparisons.
For years, the utility my dad works for had a hybrid Tahoe on their fleet that he would frequently drive. He said the real world fuel economy was pretty poor, and ultimately the vehicle ended up totaled (or maybe they just sold it) when the hybrid battery died. I don’t think they keep those in stock at your average GM dealer.
It also didn’t have a dead pedal for your left foot to rest on, so my dad made one out of wood. That was his biggest complaint.
The reality is that it was overly complex and thus expensive to produce, which is a big reason they were short lived.
I remember my first time visiting the US, back in 2011 when I went to NYC.
I thought it was hilarious/brilliant that there were GMT900 Escalades everywhere, proudly displaying the “Hybrid” logo on the fender.
Back then, even Priuses didn’t seem all that common here in the UK.
I’m not sure how well they hold up – I now own a gas-only GMT900 Escalade, and rarely see hybrid ones across the forums/Facebook communities.
The Chevys had an optional decal package that put HYBRID in 12″ high letters across the bottom of the doors for those that wanted to make sure that everyone knew they were saving the planet and that their “enormous SUV” wasn’t a “gas guzzler”.
My company bought one of those Tahoes for a manager who was overseeing a couple of solar projects. On the requisition, he wrote that it would look better to the client if it had that big logo.
Those trucks could have achieved better MPG if they’d implemented the Jatco Xtronic CVT as well. What a shame… but not too late, should they want to try again…
I have some experience with the dual-mode hybrid system (essentially the same as the Chevy) in the 2009 Dodge Durango Hybrid. I was one of the technical trainers at Chrysler who taught classes on the system when it was launched in 2008. It was a little weird, but the vehicle did what they said it would do: in my experience, the city fuel economy was improved by about 50%. I also towed with our vehicle once. I was certainly running overweight with a new, 5,000 pound minivan on an open steel trailer hooked up AND a spare battery AND a disassembled transmission inside the Durango. It made the tow from Phoenix to LA just fine.
Wow, I had no idea they put this in the Durango.
edit: spelling.
It was easy to miss, because they built fewer than 1000 of them, including the near-twin Chrysler Aspen Hybrid. Shortly after beginning production of the Durango & Aspen hybrids, the Great Recession really kicked in. Chrysler closed the assembly plant in Delaware, where those trucks were built, and the land was sold off during the Chrysler bankruptcy in 2009.
GM being GM again. I will say that it was a bit early for the average truck buyer to wrap their hands around this tech.
Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
GM and defeat
Back when these were new, the company I worked for bought a bunch of hybrid Tahoes to use as fleet vehicles. They put a bunch of preorders on the hybrid Silverado to replace a bunch of aging GMT400 trucks the technicians used shortly after. The Tahoes performed so badly that they converted all the Silverado orders to non-hybrids. To the hybrid’s credit, though, there were still some of those Tahoes in the fleet with well over 200,000 miles on them when I left in 2019.
GM had EAssist in the 2016 models. Helped when starting from a stop. As I recall it only added 1 or 2 MPG, but I could be wrong.
Yes according to fueleconomy.gov it was a 2 MPG boost across the board.
Same plot over and over again GM.
I recall that when solely used for powering houses and construction sites, the horn would sound intermittently when fuel was running low.
Sounds like just a victim of GM just being themselves, here.
Got something new, promising, and capable to market before anyone else? Kill it with fire!