Truck fuel mileage has historically been pretty bad. Well,
very bad. Heavy, with big engines, four wheel drive and brick like aerodynamics,
trucks didn't have a lot going for them in the efficiency department. However,
recently this is starting to change. Truck fuel mileage is on the improve
thanks to advances in the efficiency of gas engines and the introduction
of several hybrid trucks.
At the head of a whole bunch of efficient compact trucks is the
Ford
Ranger 2.3 liter which is currently the most fuel efficient truck
in the U.S. How do they achieve this? Well compact trucks are a lot smaller
than full size trucks, often only with one row of seats instead of two.
A smaller, less heavy truck means a smaller engine, smaller tires and better
aerodynamics, all of which means better fuel mileage. The Ford Ranger's
engine is less than half the size of many full size trucks yet the 143 horsepower
2.3 liter Duratec powerplant is ample because the vehicle only weighs 3000
lbs. By contrast full size trucks weigh in the region of 5000 lbs, hence
the reason for their 5.5 or 6.0 liter engines. The Ford Ranger is a decent
truck too. Its been around since 1998 so Ford have had plenty of time to
get the formula right. The 2WD Ranger's fuel consumption is 22 mpg in the
city, 27 on the highway and 24 mpg combined.
Boasting even more impressive truck fuel mileage than that of the Ranger
are the new hybrid trucks on the market. They don't beat the Ford Ranger's
fuel mileage outright but when you consider they are huge full size trucks,
almost twice as heavy as the Ranger, their fuel economy is quite phenomenal.
The
Chevrolet Silverado and the equivalent
GMC
Sierra are two outstanding hybrid trucks. The 2WD Silverado has
a fuel mileage of 21 mpg in the city, 22 on the highway and 22 mpg combined.
When you consider it has a huge 6.0 V8 engine, 2 rows of seats and weighs
a whopping 5600 lbs its amazing that its only 2 mpg worse than the Ranger.
The Chevrolet Silverado's 332 horsepower gas engine is supplemented by two
60kW electric motors powered by a 300 volt nickel metal hydride battery.
Aside from getting assistance from the electric motors, the gas engine's
fuel economy is further improved by cylinder shut down technology. Four
of the eight cylinders are not used unless power requirements necessitate
them. Other ways the Silverado saves fuel are through the use of low rolling
resistance tires and engine stop/start technology. The disadvantage of all
this great fuel saving hybrid technology is price. The Chevrolet Silverado
hybrid's price is around $38,000 compared to the Ford Ranger's bargain price
of only $18,500. The hybrid Silverado is also available in 4WD format for
only a 1 mpg drop in combined gas consumption.
Its great for our wallets and the planet that manufacturers are working
hard to
improve truck fuel mileage and this trend is set
to continue with the release of more hybrid trucks and further efficiency
improvements.