The fuel efficient, but expensive Silverado hybrid pickup
Hybrid pickup trucks. Sounds like a great idea, right? If you want to improve American fleet fuel economy, then focus on the biggest, most inefficient segment, and pickup trucks are that segment.
In fact, that was the argument GM used against the Toyota Prius as GM launched its first dual mode hybrids, including the Chevy Silverado hybrid pickup truck. Yet, since 2009 the Silverado hybrid has only accounted for .49 percent of all Silverado sales according to AutoObserver.
How do you sum up .49 percent? In a word, failure, but can Ford and Toyota do any better?
Obviously, Toyota is the king of hybrid cars, and Ford’s F150 has dominated US auto sales, well, forever. So, that’s a good start. Couple that with the similarities in Toyota and Fords’ hybrid technologies and this hybrid partnership makes a ton of sense. However, it’s the goal that seems nearly impossible. ‘Affordable hybrid pickups’?
Today, most consumers don’t believe hybrid cars are affordable, and for many it easily takes more than a decade before the hybrid premium is recovered. Full sized hybrid trucks, on the other hand, are certain to require more hybrid equipment, such as a more powerful battery pack and, therefore, greater costs.
On the plus side, however, hybrid pickup trucks can potentially save a lot of fuel. GM’s Silverado hybrid does, but at a significant price premium. Can Ford and Toyota use their hybrid experience to create a significantly cheaper hybrid drive than the dual mode hybrid drive? On the face of it, such a task seems nearly impossible.
Nevertheless, this is a very interesting collaboration, one that could reverberate through the auto industry for some time. Moreover, if Ford and Toyota achieve some level of success, it could be a real slap to GM’s face.
