2015 Silverado HD Gets CNG Option

Image © General Motors

Chevrolet’s expanded availability of bi-fuel versions of the new 2015 Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD trucks give customers and fleet managers more choices for cleaner-burning compressed natural gas-powered models – and savings at the pump.

With CNG currently priced about 62 percent less per gallon than gasoline, a work truck driven 26,000 miles a year can save more than $2,000 annually based on 75-percent CNG usage and comparable efficiency to gasoline.

“With CNG capability to be offered on all Silverado HD cab configurations, customers have a wider range of choices when it comes to selecting the alternatively fueled truck that matches their needs,” said Ed Peper, U.S. vice president, General Motors Fleet and Commercial. “And for companies and municipalities that maintain multiple trucks in their fleet, the fuel cost savings of CNG can really add up in a year.”

The CNG option is available on all Silverado 2500HD configurations and Silverado 3500HD models with single rear wheels. The 2500HD double cab and crew cab models are on sale now, with 2500HD regular cab and all 3500HD models going on sale in July.

With the additional driving range enabled by a separate CNG tank, Silverado HD bi-fuel models have a total range of up to 650 miles, meaning less time needed for fill-ups. When equipped with a 4.10 axle ratio, the maximum conventional trailering rating is 13,000 pounds on gas or CNG.

GM warrants and validates the fuel systems of the 2015 Silverado HD bi-fuel trucks.   GM’s five-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty covers CNG fuel systems. All major components associated with the CNG system also carry GM service part numbers, for availability throughout the largest dealer network in the United States. That’s not the case with some other manufacturers’ available bi-fuel trucks.

“Silverado bi-fuel pickups are available through any of Chevrolet’s more than 3,000 dealerships across America just like any other model,” said Peper. “It’s one of the industry’s most seamless integration of OEM-delivered CNG vehicles.”

The unique version of the 6.0L engine – identified by an LC8 engine code – features special hardened valves and valve seats that enable it to run on CNG or gasoline. It is rated at 360 horsepower (268 kW) and 380 lb-ft of torque (515 Nm) on gas, and 301 horsepower (225 kW) and 333 lb-ft of torque (452 Nm) on CNG.

A separate CNG fuel tank enables the driver to switch between fuels at the flip of a switch. When the CNG tank is depleted, the system automatically switches to gasoline. GM’s tier-one supplier installs the CNG fuel tank and complementing fuel system upgrades at a secondary location. Chevrolet dealers deliver the trucks as they would with any optional content.

CNG is cleaner burning than conventional gasoline or diesel. Today, most of the natural gas used in the U.S. comes from domestic or other North American sources. Depending on their usage habits, many customers can recoup the incremental investment in CNG vehicles within a few years, and the lower fuel cost enables a significant reduction in daily operating costs.