General Motors (GM) has commenced production of the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra 2500 HD bi-fuel pickup trucks at Fort Wayne, Indiana. The pickups are available for order by fleet and retail customers through Chevrolet and GMC dealers and come in standard and long-box and two-or-four wheel drive in the extended cab models.
The Silverado HD and Sierra 2500 HD Vortec 6.0L V8 engine run on compressed natural gas (CNG) or gasoline and seamlessly switch between the two fuels without affecting performance. The Type-3 single-tank CNG and gasoline tank have a combined range of 650 miles.
“Customers are choosing our bi-fuel trucks because they provide the same high level of GM truck performance and versatility but can also help businesses control their fuel costs and reduce their carbon footprint,” said Ed Peper, General Motors U.S. vice president of Fleet and Commercial Sales.
“At Chesapeake, we are converting our fleet of more than 5,000 vehicles to run on natural gas, and having options from GMC and Chevy is critical to help us reach our conversion goal,” said Nate Pumphrey, Chesapeake Energy Corp. director of Fleet Operations. “Following our full conversion, we will save $11 million to $12 million annually on fuel costs.
Pumphrey added that fuel price stability and reduced emissions add to the total benefits offered by CNG vehicles, increasing their attractiveness for fleet operators. The vehicle meets all Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) emission certification requirements.
The bi-fuel pickups are ordered from the factory, sent to the Tier One supplier IMPCO for installation of the CNG bi-fuel delivery and storage system and then delivered by GM transportation to the dealer or to an upfitter for customer-ordered modifications.
The bi-fuel option is priced at $11,000 above the suggested retail price of the base vehicle. The entire gaseous fuel system meets GM’s strict quality, durability and safety testing. The trucks will be covered by GM’s three-year, 36,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty and five-year, 100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty and vehicle emissions warranty.
(This article compiled using information from a GM press release)
