NewTex Plumbing, headquartered in Houston, and San Antonio-based Pioneer Energy Services have taken delivery of model-year 2015 GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado bi-fuel compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks – the first such equipped half-ton pickups featuring General Motors' 5.3-liter direct-injection engine.
Houston-based Nat G CNG Solutions performed the conversions using the new DuraDrive DI natural gas platform from AGA Systems. The trucks feature 24 GGE of on-board CNG storage, and the vehicles achieve approximately 23 mpg on the highway (confirmed during EPA testing of the DuraDrive DI system). Between the CNG and gasoline, the trucks can achieve a total driving range of more than 1,000 miles.
‘The savings are incredible,’ says Bill Collora, CEO of NewTex Plumbing. ‘Before, our average gas bill was $8,000 per week. Now it's down to about $5,000.’
Nat G has pre-ordered more than 50 DuraDrive DI systems, which will be integrated into trucks and delivered to customers in Texas and Louisiana before the end of the year.
‘Customers have been looking forward to getting a high-quality natural gas option for the new direct-injection engines from General Motors,’ says Bob Lukefahr, co-CEO of Nat G. ‘The system performs flawlessly, has great power and offers tremendous efficiency.’
In addition to the 5.3-liter engine, AGA Systems has also started shipping the DuraDrive DI for GM's 6.2-liter direct-injection engines, which are used in the Chevy Suburban, GMC Yukon XL and several larger pickup trucks. Nat G offers an under-body CNG cylinder system for the full line of GM full-sized SUVs.
