Hybrid Truck

Facts About The Hybrid Truck

The hybrid truck is a relatively new concept, when you consider the history of hybrid vehicles. However, this vehicle is fast becoming popular, as many popular auto manufacturers are coming up with better models each year. Hybrid technology, tries to make the best use of dual motive power of electricity and liquid fuel. A hybrid car typically has an electric motor powered by batteries, and a gasoline engine. To get the best fuel efficiency, these cars have a sleek design and are much lighter than the regular cars. However, applying hybrid technology to a truck is much more difficult, as the vehicle needs a much sturdier design, and the capacity to pull a heavier load.

Several attempts were made to introduce an efficient hybrid pickup truck in the past, but these models did not become popular. The main problem was the pulling power was not adequate, and electric motor needed recharging quite fast, and the recharging time was quite long. There were many technological advances made after that, and the latest models of hybrid truck have much better features that have overcome most of the problems. Here we will discuss the main features, and compare the most popular models in the market today.

Silverado Chevy Hybrid Truck

hybrid truck - Silverado

This hybrid truck is a full-size pickup with one of the best fuel economies you can get. It gives 23 MPG on the highway and 20 in the city. The truck has a sophisticated instrumentation panel that lets you monitor you efforts at conserving fuel, and indicates the operational efficiency of the engine. You can operate the vehicle with the electric motor, or gasoline engine, or in a mode, that is a combination of both. These three modes are ideal while traveling with a lighter load at low speeds. While carrying heavier loads or towing, you can additionally use the electric assist for more power, apart from the power of the eight-cylinder engine. In 2WD, this hybrid truck provides a towing capacity of 6,100 lbs and a payload capacity of 1,553 lbs. The safety features include a steel cage, six air bags, and a sensor that can automatically request an emergency response.

A-Bat Toyota Hybrid Truck

hybrid truck - Toyota

The A-Bat has a sleek aerodynamic design that is unique among pickups. This hybrid truck can be transformed into a two-person cab with an eight-foot truck bed, or you can keep it at the four-passenger setup with a 4-foot truck bed. The power system allows you operate the vehicle with either the gasoline engine or electric motor, or you could operate the gasoline engine to provide power to the electric motor. The company boasts a 40% fuel economy under normal driving conditions. This compact hybrid pickup almost looks like a SUV, and is quite a lightweight. There is an additional power pack that is portable, and a retractable unit for navigation. The vehicle also sports solar panels on the dashboard, which are used for powering the portable pack, and the unit for navigation.

Ford Hybrid Truck

hybrid truck - Ford

Ford has mainly been able to develop the Escape SUV into a hybrid. However, the company is about to release the hybrid version of its famous F-150 pickup truck. This hybrid truck will have the same size and all the features and power of the regular F-150, and be able to travel about 400 miles on the hybrid mode. Many people are highly optimistic about this model, and independent testing has shown good promise.

If you want, good fuel economy, and want to cut down fuel emissions, then a hybrid truck is the best option. The Silverado seems to be the sturdiest and most powerful of the lot, and its price starts from $38,725. However, the Ford F-150 will be a close contender, once it is on the road. Toyota and Ford are also going to collaborate with their existing hybrid technologies to come up with better models.

Hybrid Truck – Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid Instant Impression