Chevrolet to Offer CNG Silverado Chassis Cab
Bi-fuel heavy-duty pickup trucks are popular with many municipalities and large fleet buyers because they can purchase large quantities of compressed natural gas, have it at the work site and significantly reduce their fuel expenses. For that reason, GM has expanded its bi-fuel CNG offerings to include the 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD chassis cab. The dualie pickup will only be offered in regular-cab configurations but will have two-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive options.
The new Silverado 3500 bi-fuel will include a 24.5-gallon CNG tank located behind the cab and a standard 23.5-gallon gasoline tank. GM will offer the alternative-fuel truck near the end of the year and is one of only twotruckmakers that offer a factory-installed CNG flex-fuel system. Ford offers factory prep packages on both the Super Duty and F-150 (as well as all other commercial fleet vehicles). These prep packages allow bi-fuelinstallation companies to offer alternative-fuel systems for the pickups.
For most commercial customers, the powertrain has the same factory limited warranty (five years/100,000 miles) that other GM trucks have but it includes the CNG fuel system and components. Additionally, Chevy's alternative-fuel vehicles also receive the free two-year/24,000-mile regular maintenance program called Chevrolet Complete Care. Finally, all of the CNG components have GM service parts numbers and can be ordered and found at GM dealerships across the U.S. and Canada.
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Comments
Great idea!
Take a truck that's already loaded down with extra stuff (tool body) and add the extra weight of a redundant fuel system. GM will sell about twenty of these.
I'm not a big fan of the way CNG is being utilised in this instance.
The market isn't large enough to make decent trucks. The manufacturers' of these CNG vehicles would not even consider these without the taxpayer handouts.
Conformance style accumulators to store the gas would be a far better option. This would free up the vehicle's load capabilities. But this would require real investment, not this half @$$ed attempt.
Why not buy a smaller truck that will do the same amount of work.
It appears silly mandatory regulations are made, then handouts are given to improve mpg to placate the manufacturers to assist them in reaching the mandated CAFE targets.
What a waste of money.
When is the Silverado going to adapt to a gasoline turbo engine as wonderful as the F-150 Eco-Boost?
The Eco-Boost is the greatest innovation providing 28-30 MPG while maintaining 375 ft lb of torque so what's the reason for going to CNG?
How much more or less is CNG going to save me in fuel costs compaired to the F-150 Eco-Boost?
Is the CNG going to provide me the same power and performance and fuel economy as the Eco-Boost?
Give me a reason why I should own one!
I work in the natural gas industry , owning one would be an incentive for me.
Citizens Energy in Indiana has already ordered 120 of these CNG trucks from GM. GM will sell thousands of them to utilities.
For utility companies this would make sense but for the average person trying to find CNG it would not be practical. Natural gas is much cleaner than diesel or gasoline and it is lower cost and more abundant. The problem is there is no infrastructure for refueling with CNG. During WWII farmers and businesses converted vehicles over to natural gas. I don't know if there are Government subsidies available for CNG vehicles but I would think this would help the manufacturers toward fleet fuel efficiency. Big Al would CNG help with engines lasting longer since it is cleaner building? It would make sense especially with the carbon buildup of gasoline engines.
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