I’m not picking on Chevrolet trucks. I own two GMC products for that matter. This new hybrid Chevrolet makes disturbs me a bit. The whole idea of making a hybrid just for the sake of keeping up with the times has been compromised by building a hybrid in the manner Chevy has.

The paradigm is good, but using a 6.0 liter engine does not solve certain issues. A 6.0 liter engine is quite a large engine in fact. Six liters is 366 cubic inches, and that is a large motor. What kind of effect would this xxl engine have on improving the carbon footprint? Not much since the size of the engine would dictate the size of the carbon footprint. Why is the highway mileage barely improved? Because once the electric motor stops functioning at about 30 MPH, the xxl sized engine(6.0 Liters) is doing all the work, which makes it not much different than a non hybrid truck on the highway.

My point is that the hybrids that get the best fuel mileage use a combination of a small internal combustion engine (ICE) working in conjunction with an electric motor at all speeds. By setting hybrid cars or trucks up in the more traditional manner, a small ICE and an electric motor, the best of both worlds is possible. Actually the best of three worlds is possible. Reducing the carbon footprint is a big issue, and a small engine has a smaller carbon footprint.

I think that the new Hybrid truck is a step in the right direction and in time a giant ICE will not be necessary as our technology grows.

I hear Toyota will be adding solar panels to the Prius in the next year or two. This is the type of thinking that we need to pursue more. Using all available assets at hand to reduce carbon footprints and increase fuel mileage using renewable sources. I would expect the cost to come down in the future as well.

We all agree at GotEngines.com that they need to try harder, or should have been trying harder all along. Now that our tax dollars are literally bailing the auto manufacturers out, we want results.

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