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General Motors is sticking with a diesel engine \u200bto maximize fuel efficiency as it rolls out a next-generation pickup truck, diverging from rivals\u2019 hybrid offerings.<\/strong><\/p>\n GM plans in \u200cthe fourth quarter to launch the first major redesign since 2019 of its most important vehicles: the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks. Combined, they are the Detroit automaker\u2019s top-selling models globally and account for the bulk of the company\u2019s profits.<\/p>\n To boost fuel economy, GM said Thursday that the trucks will offer \u200ban improved diesel engine that, combined with an optional larger fuel tank, will deliver a highway driving range of more \u200bthan 900 miles before needing a fill-up.<\/p>\n GM\u2019s main competitors in light-duty pickup trucks, Ford and Ram-maker Stellantis, \u2060are relying on hybrids to wring the most fuel efficiency from their pickups. GM has largely sidestepped hybrids over the years.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a bit different \u200bthan adding a hybrid system to an existing powertrain and trying to get the efficiency out of something like that,\u201d GM President Mark \u200bReuss said of the 3.0-liter diesel engine during a media briefing.<\/p>\n Reuss acknowledged high diesel prices, which topped $6 per gallon last week, an all-time high. He drew a distinction between temporary price spikes from geopolitical events and structural increases, and said GM is betting on the superior efficiency of diesels in the long run.<\/p>\n Ford early \u200bthis decade discontinued a diesel engine on its F-150 in favor of a hybrid model, which it said offered a better combination \u200bof power and fuel efficiency. A spokesman said Thursday: \u201cWe\u2019re going to do what\u2019s right for F-150 customers, regardless of what the competition says or does.\u201d<\/p>\n DIESELS HAVE \u200cBETTER \u2060MPG, BUT FACE HIGHER PRICES<\/strong><\/p>\n GM\u2019s redesign of the Silverado and Sierra unofficially marks the next phase of Detroit\u2019s long-running battle in the pickup-truck market. Ford is expected to roll out the next generation of its F-150 in 2028, forecasters say.<\/p>\n GM, Ford and Stellantis account for more than 90% of sales in the lucrative U.S. market for big pickups, and compete fiercely for bragging rights on performance metrics like towing capacity \u200band fuel economy.<\/p>\n Diesel engines generally provide \u200bbetter highway fuel efficiency than \u2060gas engines, which is why large cargo trucks typically use diesels.<\/p>\n Each of the Detroit companies offer diesels in their larger, heavy-duty pickups, such as Ford\u2019s Super Duty and the Ram 2500. But their approaches \u200bhave diverged on their light-duty trucks: Ford\u2019s F-150, the Silverado and Sierra and Ram\u2019s 1500.<\/p>\n Ford\u2019s four-wheel drive \u200bhybrid gets 23 \u2060miles per gallon on average, according to its federal rating. GM\u2019s current four-wheel-drive diesel versions of its Silverado and Sierra get 24 mpg. However, because diesel prices typically are higher than gas, owners of the GM trucks would pay about $1,050 per year, based on 15,000 miles driven, the \u2060federal estimate \u200bshows.<\/p>\n Ram has plans for a so-called extended-range hybrid pickup truck, a type of plug-in \u200bhybrid that it says will get 690 miles between stops.<\/p>\n GM also said the redesigned Silverado and Sierra trucks will have two new V-8 engines that will be larger and \u200bmore powerful than the outgoing ones, with lower tailpipe emissions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n