Chevy Silverado Hybrid Pickup 2005 Revs It Up In Performance Parts at PartstrainWritten by Jenny McLane
Vehicles with bigger, less fuel-efficient engines will benefit more from hybrid technology, thus big pickup trucks, vans and SUVs are prime candidates for gas-saving benefits of hybrid technology. The Chevy Silverado hybrid pickup feature GM's 5300 Vortec V-8 and Hydra-Matic 4L60-E four-speed automatic transmission, coupled with hybrid technology that delivers 10 to 12 percent improved fuel economy over GM half-ton pickups. It features a powerful 42-volt lead-acid battery pack underneath rear seat, an auxiliary starter-generator between engine and transmission, an electronic control module, and a regenerative braking system, which charges battery while braking, and coasting. With an auxiliary generator capability, truck's generator can operate when truck is parked without a key in ignition. The hybrid Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups could power tools or appliances for up to 32 hours non-stop. This design shuts engine down before tank is emptied, leaving enough gas to drive to a station for refueling. All power supply circuits are protected by a ground fault detection system to prevent overloads and short circuits. A compact electric motor that generates up to 14,000 watts of continuous electric power makes these pickup trucks more fuel-efficient. The main function of three deep-cycle lead acid batteries is to assist starter generator to instantly restart engine. When Silverado Hybrid comes to a stop while in Drive or Park, engine will automatically shut off. When driver takes his/her foot off brake and puts it on accelerator, engine re-starts automatically and almost seamlessly.
| | GMC Sierra Hybrid 2005 Accentuated with GMC Parts from Parts TrainWritten by Jenny McLane
A standard Vortec 5300 5.3-liter V8 engine powers Sierra Hybrid and a 4-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission coupled with full-size truck segment’s first hybrid propulsion technology for improved fuel economy. The Sierra hybrid uses electric power even less frequently. Its gasoline engine can shut down when car is stopped (actually, when it's braking to a stop, below 13 mph or so) and-that's it. The batteries (three 14-volt units plus standard 12-volt) cannot power truck at low speeds. Nor do they help out gasoline engine, which therefore can't be any smaller. It's same 5.3-liter V-8 GM pickup buyers know and love. Because of limited nature of this hybrid system, benefits are mild: roughly 2 mpg in city driving and 1 mpg during EPA's highway cycle. The system replaces traditional starter motor and alternator with a compact 14-kw electric induction motor or starter generator integrated between engine and transmission. The starter generator provides fast, quiet starting power and allows gasoline engine to automatically start and stop under certain conditions to conserve fuel. The Sierra Hybrid also offers four 120-volt/20-amp electrical auxiliary power outlets located under rear seat and in pickup bed. Because 5.3-liter V-8 is same as that in non-hybrid pickups, its power and torque outputs are same (295 horsepower, 325 pound-feet of torque). Acceleration, towing, and payload are undiminished. The extra hybrid gear takes up very little space-the biggest component, three extra batteries, is under rear seat. One interesting feature of hybrid trucks are its four, 120-volt 20-amp AC power outlets in cargo bed and rear seat; but engine must be running in order to use them.
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