General Motors is set to unveil the redesigned truck models of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500 that will be using an engine powered by compressed natural gas and gasoline.
According to General Motors, these vehicles will be powered by a specialized engine dubbed as the Vortec 6-liter V-8 engine. This engine is capable of burning gasoline and compressed natural gas simultaneously. When the pickup starts, the engine would be using gasoline as its fuel. As soon as the engine reached a certain temperature, it will automatically switch to the use of the compressed natural gas and this combination is expected to cover an estimated 650-mile range in a single fill-up.
Since the engine that will be used on the redesigned versions of the two GM trucks is using compressed natural gas and gasoline simultaneously, the fuel expense incurred is reduced. This is because the price of compressed natural gas is lower compared to the price of gasoline.
By reducing the amount of gasoline consumed by the vehicle through the use of compressed natural gas as an alternative fuel, the owner is given the chance to earn more savings out of reduced fuel expenses. In the case of the Vortec engine-equipped GMC Sierra 2500 and Chevrolet Silverado, the owner of each of these vehicles could possibly earn an estimated savings of $6000 to $10,000 on a three year period.
The redesigned version of the GMC Sierra 2500 and the Chevrolet Silverado will be sold in the fourth quarter of this year but the buying public will be given an ample amount of time to place orders and this will probably happen a few months from now.
Both of these vehicles will also bear the 2013 model year and General Motors would be selling these through its network of dealerships across the US. In addition to this, General Motors is also planning to primarily offer these models to fleet customers but individual orders will also be accommodated.
The redesigned version of the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra 2500 will be built at the company’s Fort Wayne Indiana plant. This will then be shipped to the Robert Bosch GmbH facility where the compressed natural gas storage and delivery system would be installed.
As of the moment, General Motors has not yet announced the starting price of these vehicles but the company has provided an assurance that the pricing details will be announced before the placing of orders from potential customers starts.
