2021 Chevy Silverado 2500 Diesel MPG
What You’ll Learn
As you read about the 2021 Silverado Diesel MPG, you’ll learn:
- The EPA doesn’t actually test fuel economy for vehicles as heavy as the Silverado HD, so there is no EPA-estimated MPG for the 2021 Silverado 2500.
- Luckily, we can still rely on real-world MPG tests performed by professional reviewers as well as normal drivers.
- YouTube content creator and freelance automotive journalist Tim Esterdahl found that this truck gets 16.7 miles per gallon at 55 miles per hour and 15.9 miles per gallon at 70 miles per hour.
2021 Silverado Diesel MPG
The new 2021 Chevy Silverado 2500HD is designed to handle the toughest jobs on the planet, like hauling heavy loads and towing massive trailers. It also offers a certain sleek style that outclasses other trucks and turns heads no matter where you go. Given that this truck was designed to be one of the most impressive work machines ever created, fuel efficiency isn’t exactly what it’s known for. After all, if all you wanted was something to get you back and forth around Phoenix without using gas, you’d be in a Chevy Bolt EV.
Just because the 2021 Silverado 2500HD Duramax wasn’t created to be the most fuel-efficient vehicle on the road, that doesn’t mean it can’t have an efficient engine. In fact, the engine inside this behemoth of a vehicle is created to help every drop of gas live up to its fullest potential in terms of the power created. Automotive journalist Tim Esterdahl conducted his own research and found that this truck achieves roughly 16 miles per gallon on the highway. Not bad for a heavy-duty pickup truck!
2021 Silverado 2500HD Duramax Fuel MPG Explained
There are a number of factors that contribute to a truck’s gas mileage: the weight of the truck, the shape and size of the body, and even the size of the tires. Because gas mileage is so variable depending on the features selected, the trim level you select may impact the gas mileage you can expect. In the case of the 2021 Silverado 2500HD, it’s available in five different trim levels:
- 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD WT – The Work Truck is the base model, but it still offers plenty of features and capabilities to make all kinds of jobs easier than ever before. The wheels are 17 inches, which makes them tied for the smallest of any Silverado 2500HD.
- 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Custom – This version of the truck includes numerous upgrades, including larger 20-inch wheels. The larger wheels may slightly decrease the vehicle’s gas mileage, but they make the appearance and ride that much better.
- 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LT – This trim level takes the wheels back down to 17 inches while offering a variety of feature upgrades in other areas. As a result, the fuel efficiency might get a slight bump again.
- 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ – This impressive trim level has 18-inch wheels, so the fuel efficiency is likely to be somewhere in the middle of the other versions.
- 2021 Chevy Silverado 2500HD High Country – This is the cream of the crop, and it has shiny wheels that are 20 inches in diameter. As a result, the real-world gas mileage will probably be consistent with the Silverado 2500HD Custom. Every High Country comes with a four-wheel drive, while the other trim levels all give drivers a choice between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive.
It’s worth noting that the wheels alone are not the right reason to identify the best heavy-duty pickup truck. In fact, while these small changes do impact fuel efficiency, the difference is not especially noticeable. If you need or want bigger wheels, you may as well get them.
Something similar can be said about the drivetrain. Vehicles with two-wheel drive are normally slightly more fuel-efficient than vehicles with four-wheel drive, if only by a little bit. Again, this is not the reason to pass on the all-wheel drive if that’s something you’d use for work or play.
Why Doesn’t the EPA Test HD Trucks?
When the EPA came up with its current regulations for heavy-duty trucks, there weren’t very many of them on the road. The ones that were out there were largely used for work, too, so the people buying these trucks were much more concerned with capabilities and performance than with fuel economy. As a result, the EPA doesn’t include ratings for heavy-duty trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 8,500 pounds or greater.
This may change by the year 2027, and there are a few reasons for the change:
- Society is generally becoming more environmentally conscious. Even as individuals and companies buy the most performant trucks available, it’s been decided that they should at least have accurate, verified information about gas mileage.
- It’s possible to create great performance without totally sacrificing efficiency. Modern technology, from efficient engines to hybrid powertrains and beyond, makes it possible to conserve fuel and empower incredible performances at the same time.
- There are more HD trucks available. Many years ago, it was so expensive to get a powerful truck that most individuals wouldn’t dream of it. Now, modern engines have made HD trucks accessible on more modest budgets, so there are plenty of them out there.
Once the EPA starts requiring testing of HD pickup trucks, drivers will be able to get certified data about Silverado 2500HD gas mileage instead of searching for real-world experiments like the one mentioned in this post.
Efficiency Tips for 2021 Silverado 2500
If you’re here, you probably care somewhat about the fuel efficiency of your Silverado 2500HD. Luckily for you, there are several things you can do to maximize it:
Remember that weight affects fuel economy
You buy a 2500HD to move heavy things, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it all the time. If you’re going to run some errands before heading out of town on a camping trip, you might want to do your local driving before you pick up your trailer. As an added bonus, this will also make it easier to find spaces around Phoenix before you hit the highway.
Get regular service
Chevy tune-ups are designed to ensure that the vehicle is running as efficiently as possible, which means you can save at the pump and reduce your carbon footprint by getting preventative maintenance. Fuel injector cleaning, tire rotations, oil changes, and more can all help the engine do its job with less fuel waste.
Cover your bed
Your truck’s cargo area creates wind resistance, and you can eliminate a lot of that drag with a Chevy truck bed cover. Such covers also give you a place to stash valuables when you park in public.
Test Drive the 2021 Chevy Silverado 2500HD
A normal test drive won’t be long enough for you to conduct your own real-world fuel efficiency study, but it should give you a great idea about some of the other things this truck can do. After you’re finished with your cruise around your local slice of Maricopa County, check the fuel gauge when you pull back into the dealership to see how little gas you’ve used.
Find a Valley Chevy dealership to get started today!
