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General Motors’ 3.0-liter Duramax is the only diesel half-ton truck engine left. It’s stout, with 305 horsepower and 495 lb-ft of torque; it’s efficient, hitting 30 miles per gallon on the highway in the real world; and it was smooth enough to be sold in the Cadillac Escalade. Thanks to a new 34-gallon fuel tank available on the 2027 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra, the engine can also chug-a-lug along for more than 900 miles without refueling.
In case you aren’t sure, yes, that’s quite good. While GM didn’t mention any fuel economy figures for the trucks’ new gas V8s, I wouldn’t be surprised if the turbodiesel inline-six has a 300-mile advantage. It’s at least awfully close to double that of a Chevy Silverado EV with the max-range battery, which is rated up to 493 miles of driving per charge in Work Truck form and 478 miles in higher trims.
Comparing a diesel engine’s range to an electric powertrain’s is a bit silly, I admit. It’d be more helpful to compare it to past compression-ignition lumps in this same class. Dan Edmunds once drove an EcoDiesel Ram 1500 more than 1,000 miles on a single tank for a story on this fine website, and it could only hold 33 gallons. But that truck exceeded its EPA fuel economy rating of 29 mpg highway. It’s possible that a Duramax-powered Chevy or GMC could do the same with a light foot and the right conditions. (For what it’s worth, GM estimates a two-wheel-drive truck with the 3.0-liter turbodiesel can reliably hit 27 mpg highway.)
Byron Hurd
While the light-duty Duramax makes the same power as before, it’s been upgraded in meaningful ways. GM says it improved the piston and turbo vane design while fitting it with a next-generation NOx sensor. It also sports what GM is calling “revised DEF level indicators,” which, let’s just hope they’re better than some of the ones we’ve seen on modern diesels.
All in all, it’ll always be easier to hit massive range numbers when you add more fuel. It’s simple math. If one of these trucks is filled to the brim with 34 gallons, that means it’s carrying roughly 241 pounds of diesel. I’m not sure if it’s more or less impressive when you put it that way, but one thing’s for sure: You’ll definitely have to stop and pee before you run out of fuel. At least, I would.
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From running point on new car launch coverage to editing long-form features and reviews, Caleb does some of everything at The Drive. And he really, really loves trucks.
