Who says hybrid vehicles won’t take off in the South? Oh yeah, I did…because of pickup trucks. But wait a second, what about hybrid pickup trucks? The 2009 GMC Sierra Hybrid and the 2009 Chevy Silverado Hybrid are both rated at 21 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway.

Depending on the model year and driving conditions, most half ton pickup trucks (Ford F150, Chevy Silverado 1500, etc) will be getting combined gas mileage somewhere between 12 and 18 mpg, so does 21 mpg really make that big a difference?

YES!

That's because there is a growing concern with the miles per gallon rating system. Many people think that vehicles should receive a gallons per mile rating instead. What’s the difference? The New York Times “Wheels” blog has the best answer I’ve seen. You should definitely take a minute to take the 1 question quiz mentioned at the “Wheels” blog so you can see a couple of staggering charts that truly to expose the illusion of miles per gallon.

On the 2^nd chart you can view after taking that quiz you’ll see some amazing data. If measured in gallons per mile (not miles per gallon), a truck owner that goes from an older truck getting 12.5 mpg to the 2009 Silverado Hybrid or Sierra Hybrid, getting 21 mpg, will save as much gas as a sedan owner who trades in their 20 mpg car for a 50 mpg hybrid.

Did you catch that? I hope so…it’s too good to miss!

Does that mean that hybrid pickup trucks will be the savior of the South? Perhaps, but probably not. Oh they’d suffice for the suburbanites and city slickers who genuinely DO need a truck on a regular basis (like me), but not for the majority of truck owners in the south. Why is this?

Just as I said in the last post, there is a “truck culture” here in the south. It’s all about who can have the biggest, loudest, roughest, toughest truck on the block…and that’s probably not going to change any time soon. Even if it did, I seriously doubt that the electric engine that drives the 2009 Sierra and Silverado Hybrids until about 30 miles per hour will sound all that great and “throaty” when you step on the gas in 1^st gear.

We’ve got to learn that eco-friendliness is NOT something for sissies. You can live a healthy and eco-friendly life that is lived with at least a little consideration for our planet’s natural resources without being a total puss.

So let’s do it. Wake up my fellow southerners…the civil war is over.

>> Check out Greenopia's Guide to the Ultimate Green Car for a look at the future of eco friendly cars.