Chevrolet and GMC trucks could soon run on LPG, CNG
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Recommend The 2010 Chevrolet Silverado, shown here as the Crew Cab, could be converted for alternative fuels.
CAPTIONBy GM, WieckLook for full-size General Motors pickups -- Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra -- to be powered by propane (LPG) or compressed natural gas (CNG) as soon as 2012, says Jeffrey Luke, chief engineer for GM's full-size trucks worldwide, in a conversation with USA TODAY at the Detroit auto show.


LPG and CNG can be less expensive to use than gasoline. They burn so cleanly that the fuels are used on work vehicles indoors, such as forklifts inside warehouses.

Conventional gasoline internal-combustion engines can be modified to run on CNG or LPG relatively inexpensively. But those fuels contain less energy than gasoline, so a vehicle has to have a bigger fuel tank to go the same distance. Full-size trucks have enough room to tuck in a big tank, Luke says. "You lose a little payload," but don't ruin the truck's usefulness, he says.

Some trucks are already CNG or LPG powered.



They are mostly heavy duties. And GM standard-duty (a.k.a. "light duty") trucks can be converted by aftermarket companies. But a GM-backed LPG or CNG system could appeal to conservative buyers who want a big company to stand behind the vehicles.




Lukes says GM-built engines for LPG and CNG would have "hardened valve seals and so forth for long-term durability. You could have trouble at 70,000 - 80,000 miles if you don't have the proper materials," he says.

Lukes likes not only the lower cost and lower emissions of LPG and CNG, but also the fact it's another fueling alternative: "These days, we need a diverse fuel portfolio."


Buck