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The internet buzz is that a new Chevy Silverado 1500 PHEV and GMC Sierra 1500 PHEV are being rushed through development to hit the market soon. They are also axing a small electric truck.
What is a Chevy Silverado PHEV?
If you aren’t familiar with all the new jargon around electric vehicles, you are probably wondering: What the heck is a PHEV? That stands for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle. The idea is the vehicle has an engine as well as a battery and electric motor. This system operates like a regular hybrid with the gas engine as the primary source of motivation, but it can also run on electric-only power for a certain distance — usually 20 to 50 miles with today’s PHEVs.
Yes, this means you have to plug it into a wall outlet to charge the battery. However, some of the battery can be recharged through regenerative braking, and in some PHEVs, you can actually use the gas engine to charge the battery while driving.
In layman’s terms, you plug it in overnight and get, say, 40 miles of electric range. You then drive it during the day and may never need gas, depending on your daily habits. If you do need gas, it’s there at your disposal.
Why bring them to market?
The push behind General Motors’ plug-in trucks is, frankly, the lack of excitement over the battery-only electric trucks. Plus, competition from Ram is pushing GM to be more competitive in the truck market.
In the past year, we’ve seen electric vehicle sales normalize after early adopters bought them up like hot cakes. This cooling market has GM’s Mary Barra readjusting the automaker’s strategy from a full EV lineup full stop to a strategy that takes consumer demand into account.
Then, there is the 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger, which will be the first electric truck on the market with a gasoline range extender. No word on pricing, on-sale date or range yet, but it has stirred a lot of interest among truck fans tired of buying $4 gas for daily driving around town.
Didn’t GM offer a hybrid truck before?
You may remember GM has had a variety of different hybrid offerings in the past.
Back in 2008, GM started offering a two-mode hybrid setup for the Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon and GM trucks using the 6.0-liter V-8 engine. The system used “two 60 kW electric motor/generators which can drive the vehicle on electricity only and can also recharge the 330 volt hybrid battery pack,” according to Fenderbender.com. It also used regenerative braking.
This system was ahead of its time. It was also expensive and didn’t really provide much improvements in fuel economy with just 1-2 MPG more.
GM also offered the Chevy Volt from 2011 to 2019. The first generation was a range-extended EV, and the second gen was a true plug-in hybrid. I happened to get the chance to drive one, and it was excellent. It made a lot of sense driving around town on electric then using gas for road trips.
It was killed off, much to chagrin of its loyal fans, in favor of the fully electric Chevy Bolt. GM thought the timing was right to go full EV. Now, they are walking back that idea.
What about a small electric truck?
Finally, what’s that about a small electric truck? If the rumors are true, GM was working on a compact electric truck to compete with the Ford Maverick.
This small truck seems like the perfect application for a full battery electric vehicle since it isn’t meant for big towing jobs or hauling. Instead, it would be a city or suburban vehicle meant for running errands or driving to work.
The problem might be the price point. Cost to build an EV has risen in the past few years thanks to escalating raw material prices, and consumers aren’t willing to fork out the money for them.
The bottom line
I think I can speak for everyone who writes for this outlet when I say: “HELLO! About damn time.” Most journalists and consumers have been asking why the rush to full BEV and why not a stepping stone like PHEV for years. Automakers haven’t listened, but now it looks like they might finally be getting the message.
Hopefully, GM doesn’t mess it up by making it so expensive nobody wants to buy them. Let’s start with a bare bones work truck with 40 miles of range, starting less than $50k. Not a luxury-laden truck with 20 miles of range for more than $100k. Just a thought.
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