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With alternative fuel and going green being a big focus of this year’s LA Auto Show, Chevrolet has unvieled the latest in their strong line of Hybrid vehicles, the Silverado Hybrid. Chevrolet says the truck will go on sale in North America in late 2008, and uses GM’s 2-Mode Hybrid technology that is found in the new Tahoe Hybrid that goes on sale very soon.
The Silverado Hybrid gets it’s gasoline power from a 6.0L V-8 and a new Electrically Variable Transmission (EVT). On the electric side of things, the Silverado Hybrid utilizes GM’s EVT and 300-volt nickle-metal hydride battery. This system allows the Silverado to drive up to 30 mph on electric power alone.
GM has not released any economy numbers yet, but the Tahoe Hybrid shows a 50-percent improvement in city fuel economy over the gasoline powered Tahoe. Anything that produces real world results like this is great in our book, as long as the cost of the hybrid system doesn’t negate the fuel savings.
