In the numbers game, hybrid SUVs and trucks like the Chevrolet Silverado lose. They’re pricier and heavier than similar V-8 models, and their reduced towing capacity is an especially big drawback in the commercial market.

But while 21 miles per gallon in the city seems unremarkable, consider that a regular Silverado averages in the low teens. General Motor’s heavy-duty hybrid system – shared by Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Chrysler – is a marvel of power and efficiency for vehicles of this size. Here’s a pickup that can reach 30 miles per hour on electricity, offers four-wheel drive, and can haul five people up front and 6,000 pounds behind.

GM will be lucky if it sells a few thousand of these pickups, but it’s an impressive start among competitors that have yet to embrace hybrids.