As with the GMT900 SUV hybrids, the pickup won't look much different from a regular Silverado, with the exception of stickers on the sides and windshield, making sure everyone within 100 yards can tell this vehicle is different.
The system uses two powerful electric motors and a 300-volt battery pack for various power modes. It's called a 2-Mode Hybrid because in Mode 1 the first electric motor (which also replaces the torque converter) silently drives the truck off the batteries up to 30 mph and can reportedly do so for as far as two miles, depending on charge levels. Mode 2 kicks in above 30 mph, when both electric motors supplement the all-aluminum 6.0-liter OHV V-8. Amazingly, the two electric motors, gears, and electronic variable transmission all sit inside a regular transmission bellhousing. There are two sets of gears for the electric motors-one each for low (Mode 1) and high (Mode 2) speeds-and a third set of four fixed gears, specifically designed to work like a normal transmission during heavy hauling or towing. The Miller-cycle 6.0-liter V-8's Active Fuel Management cylinder-shutoff software is more aggressive than in nonhybrids, allowing the engine to run in V-4 more often at speed. It also uses an automatic engine shutoff when coasting up to a stop or sitting at stoplights to further save fuel.
