Bi-Fuel Silverado HDs Prove Trucks Don’t Have to Get Leaner to Run Cleaner

Conventional wisdom says the bigger the vehicle, the bigger the environmental impact. Chevrolet is showing it might be time to break with convention.

Yesterday at the Chicago Auto Show, Chevrolet unveiled CNG bi-fuel versions of the new 2015 Silverado 2500 and 3500 heavy duty truckscapable of running on compressed natural gas and gasoline.

CNG is cleaner burning than conventional gasoline or diesel. Natural gas-powered vehicles show an average 80-percent reduction in ozone-forming emissions, compared to gasoline combustion.

With CNG currently priced about 62 percent less per gallon than gasoline, a work truck driven 26,000 miles a year can save more than $2,000 annually based on 75-percent CNG usage and comparable efficiency to gasoline.

“With CNG capability to be offered on all Silverado HD cab configurations, customers have a wider range of choices when it comes to selecting the alternatively fueled truck that matches their needs,” said Ed Peper, U.S. vice president, General Motors Fleet and Commercial.

These vehicles come with a separate CNG tank that gives the trucks a total range of up to 650 miles, allowing drivers to transition between CNG and gasoline fuel systems with the flip of a switch.

The CNG option is available to both retail and business customers on all Silverado 2500HD configurations and Silverado 3500HD models with single rear wheels. The 2500HD double cab and crew cab models are on sale now, with 2500HD regular cab and all 3500HD models going on sale in July.

The new offerings align with our belief that the keys to developing sustainable transportation are energy alternatives and advanced technologies that help reduce dependency on petroleum, improve fuel economy and reduce emissions.

And these breakthroughs only come by challenging conventional wisdom.