Back in 2009, General Motors introduced a two-mode hybrid setup on its Silverado/Sierra full-size pickups and related SUVs, but truck buyers showed little interest and the powertrain was dropped with the move to the redesigned, 2014 models. For the new trucks, the 4.3-liter V-6 was supposed to be the high-efficiency offering. Now, GM is making a foray back into hybrid pickups, with the 2016 Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500 eAssist hybrid trucks?but is doing so on a much smaller scale.
This time, the trucks are “mild hybrids,” meaning the single electric-assist motor cannot power them on its own?the engine needs to help. The electric motor bumps EPA fuel-economy estimates by 2 mpg city and highway, to 18/24 mpg; as it happens, those figures exactly match the EPA ratings for the 4.3-liter V-6 model. (The previous hybrid pickups were rated at 21/22 mpg in rear-drive form.) Okay, so neither pickup is a Chevrolet Volt with a cargo bed. To some, a 2-mpg improvement in city and highway driving might not sound like much, but it does mark a 13-percent hike in city efficiency.
Both the Silverado and Sierra eAssist trucks start life as two-wheel-drive 1500 models equipped with the mid-range 5.3-liter gasoline V-8 engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Their electric-assist motors are tied to the accessory drive belt, and can either recuperate energy when the truck is decelerating or contribute 13 horsepower and 44 lb-ft of torque to the V-8’s crankshaft ...