GM Plans Running Changes to Cut Pickup Truck Weight

General Motors Co. is already looking for ways to trim the curb weight of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra fullsize pickup trucks it introduced six weeks ago, according to Reuters.

Weight reduction will become especially important by 2017, when tougher fuel economy standards for light trucks and crossovers begin to phase in. The rules dictate a truck average of 29 mpg by then, rising to about 40 mpg by 2025.

Unnamed suppliers tell Reuters that GM will begin in about 18 months to replace several steel panels with parts made of aluminum or plastic. They say the company also hopes to lighten suspension and powertrain components.

The just-introduced GM trucks which weigh at least 4,400 lbs are 250-400 lbs lighter than the previous models, according to Reuters. But suppliers say the company's options to make further reductions will be limited until the trucks get their next major overhaul in 2019.

In the meantime, rival Ford Motor Co. expects next year to roll out a redesigned F-150 pickup that is about 700 lbs lighter than the current truck.