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Originally Posted by DGthe3
Could you please specify? The tahoe and yukon hybrids only went onsale within the last year, and they are the only hybrid trucks that GM offers as far as I know. It is based on the system used in busses.
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I just googled it, and apparently GM quit making them. They made some ~3000 hybrid full size trucks (I thought they were doing the whole line, pickups and SUVs) from 2004 to 2006 but didn't publicize them well and didn't sell many. They were really cool, they had the battery pack under the extended cab back seat, and an inverter that let you run power tools off the battery pack.
From
http://www.hybridcars.com/trucks/gm-...up-trucks.html
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In late 2004, General Motors launched an ultra-light hybrid system on the Silverado and Sierra models. The total production run on both was about 3,000, but it was never entirely clear if or where you could buy one. Then, in December 2006, GM “quietly dropped the hybrid versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups,” according to Automotive News.
Before the conspiracy theorists go too far, don’t expect a documentary release of “Who killed the hybrid pickup?” GM phased out the ultra-light hybrid pickups that produced a 10-15 percent increase in fuel economy to make room for full hybrid versions of the Silverado and Sierra, which are expected to get a 25 percent increase in fuel efficiency. The so-called two-mode hybrid pickups are scheduled to launch in late 2008.
The phased-out hybrid pickup trucks featured a cool bonus feature: they acted as power generators, using two conventional, three-prong plug-ins under the rear seat, and two more in the back of the bed. The four 120-volt, 20 amp electrical auxiliary power outlets provided power to electric saws, grinders, hairdryers or laptops. The juice was activated while the truck was running. And with the shifter in PARK, the driver could choose to turn the truck into a stationary generator and walk away with the keys in his pocket. The power supply circuits were protected by a ground fault detection system so overloads and short circuits could be avoided. According to GM, the hybrid pickups maintained power for up to 32 hours non-stop before needing to fill the tank. (They shut off before the gas tank was completely drained, so drivers wouldn’t be stranded.)
There’s no word yet if the two-mode hybrid pickups will have the three-prong outlets.
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I was very excited about that truck, despite the fact that I could not afford one. I've been talking about it for years, not knowing that they quit making them...