Are Hybrid Trucks as Ecologically Beneficial as Regular Hybrid Cars

As the popularity of hybrid vehicles continues to grow, auto manufacturers are employing hybrid technology in many different types of vehicles, including hybrid trucks. Hybrid trucks offer most of the benefits of their gasoline-powered counterparts, yet strive to be more environmentally friendly by generating higher EPA-estimated fuel economy.

As of this writing, the only production hybrid trucks are offered by General Motors. The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Hybrid and GMC Sierra 1500 Hybrid combine a 6.0-liter Vortec V-8 engine with 2 electric motors powered by a nickel-metal-hydride battery. The engine also includes GM's Active Fuel Management (AFM) and late intake valve closing, which lets the engine run on either 4 or 8 cylinders to achieve maximum fuel efficiency. The trucks employ a 4-speed Electrically Variable Transmission (EVT) that was co-developed with Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Together, this powertrain allows the trucks to attain EPA-estimated mileage of 21/city and 22/highway.

When comparing the environmental friendliness of these hybrid trucks to regular hybrid cars, a couple of factors need to be considered. First, are the trucks being compared to a "full hybrid" such as the Toyota Camry Hybrid, or are they being compared to a "mild hybrid" like GM's own Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid (which was discontinued for the 2010 model year)? Second, is the added usability and functionality of the truck being considered, or is the comparison based on EPA-estimated fuel economy only?

In a "full hybrid" vehicle, the electric motor is able to propel the vehicle under certain driving conditions without assistance from the gasoline engine. Typically speaking, "full hybrids" get better gas mileage than "mild hybrids," which means the electric motor assists the gasoline engine but is unable to propel the vehicle by itself. The hybrid trucks above are "mild hybrids," so one shouldn't expect the same sort of fuel savings they would get in a "full hybrid." For example, the Toyota Camry Hybrid is a "full hybrid" based on the best-selling Toyota Camry sedan. In 4-cylinder guise, the regular Camry sedan achieves combined EPA-estimated mileage of 25 miles per gallon (MPG). The Camry Hybrid, by comparison, gets combined EPA-estimated mileage of 33 MPG, which is 32% better. The hybrid trucks, with combined EPA-estimated mileage of around 21 MPG, only average approximately 17% better combined mileage than their non-hybrid siblings.

On fuel economy alone, hybrid trucks are not as environmentally friendly as regular hybrid cars. Due to the added size and weight of the truck platform, it's natural to assume that hybrid trucks will not get the same gas mileage as hybrid cars. However, there are some inherent benefits of owning a hybrid truck that regular hybrid cars simply cannot compare with. For example, hybrid trucks are able to haul, tow and carry large items in their truck beds. For those who are ecologically aware in all aspects of life, hybrid car owners need a dirty old delivery truck to deliver their Energy Star appliances, while hybrid truck owners can transport the appliances themselves in their environmentally friendly truck.

Certainly, based on mileage alone, hybrid trucks are not as ecologically beneficial as regular hybrid cars. However, they are more environmentally friendly than their non-hybrid siblings, and as hybrid technology continues to improve, so will the truck's fuel economy.