General Motors announced today it will offer bi-fuel versions of its 2013 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks that run either on gasoline or natural gas.
The two trucks are the 2500 HD (heavy duty) model, and can be ordered in rear-wheel or four-wheel drive and with a standard or long bed.
The pickups are fitted with a 6.0-liter V-8 engine that is modified to switch seamlessly between burning compressed natural gas, or CNG, and gasoline.
GM chose the bi-fuel option, it said, because it relieves buyers of the need to stay within range of a local natural-gas fueling stations.
No range anxiety
"Range anxiety is very real," said Joyce Mattman, director of GM commercial product and specialty vehicles. "We worked with the Chevy Volt team on that, and saw the same issues" among customers who worried about running out of electricity.
The trucks run on natural gas as standard, then switch to gasoline when the CNG runs out (or if the driver pushes a button to do so).
Natural gas-powered vehicles have lower emissions, producing about 25 percent less carbon dioxide (CO2) per mile than those running on gasoline.
The fuel is plentiful and domestically produced, with 98 percent of U.S. natural gas produced within the country.
Cheaper fuel costs
And with gasoline costs soaring, the cost advantage of CNG is by far its most attractive feature. Fleet customers may save $2,000 a year or more per vehicle on fuel costs.
Natural gas prices are much less volatile than gas prices, and CNG equivalent to the energy content of one gallon of gasoline costs slightly more than $2 in most areas.
Today, there are fewer than 1,000 natural-gas fueling stations in the U.S., according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, more than half open to the public. Stations are most prevalent in California, Oklahoma, New York, and Utah.
Read More: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1073663_2013-chevy-gmc-natural-gas-bi-fuel-pickup-trucks-announced
