I couldn't find anything on the truck, I'll ask my father if he can find an article on it. I know that if you build an engine right, you can get decent fuel mileage, Example being again, my fathers 1986 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, which, with the onboard computer system for the carb mostly removed, along with various emissions, which backdates the engine too the 1980 model 307, it gets around 20 miles per gallon. Originally it got around 10.
Now, mind you, this is a vehicle that weighs about 4100lbs, and has about 200-400lbs of random stuff loaded in it usually, plus my father, who weighs around 210lbs, this vehicle is also running a Oldsmobile 307 cubic inch 5.0L big block four barrel V8, getting 20 miles per gallon out of that engine is quite good, especially since the engine has had things removed, rather than added too get that millage. The engine came stock with a computerized carburetor, distributor, and a few emission controls with sensors, after removing the emission controls and sensors by using parts from a 1980 model engine somewhat, the car went from a sluggish tank, too a rather efficient and quick utility vehicle. We plan too remove the computerized distributor and the carburetor soon, and replace them with older non-computerized ones, there built too the 1980 factory specs. Entirely legal, since it is technically like dropping an engine four years older than the car in it, here the limit is five years older.
My point is, that, if a cars fuel mileage can be increased by simply removing a smog pump, and a deer antler emission hose system by about 10-12 miles per gallon, what could you get out of completely re-designing the fuel system? I mean, if you re-design a cars coolant or exhaust system, you can often get anywhere from two too four times as much efficiency out of the motor. Now a days you can have the computer reprogrammed in your car and double, triple, or sometimes even quadruple the performance and fuel mileage.
My simple point being, I believe the technology we should focus on is the older technologies that all of our fuel consuming devices are built on, such as the internal combustion engine, it has so much potential without fuel injection, without all these plastic parts and cheap aluminum blocks, what you need is durability and a properly built vehicle, not something that lasts maybe five years then falls apart almost as comically as one would expect a cartoon automobile too do. Honestly, do you think that a Prius would be here three years from now? Five? I highly doubt it. I know my Oldsmobile Cutlass Brougham is mechanically capable of being used for at least another twenty years, simply because parts will almost always be available , or rebuild able.
I mean, sure, the cast iron engine in my car is a bit comical, I'll have too do some modifications too it too get the performance, and fuel mileage I want out of it, but thats worth the work, considering it'll only need minor work for the most part. They gear everything now-a-days too be throw away from the way its built internally, too the way its all assembled under the hood. Which, the entire reason I will never own a automobile with a year model past about 1990 unless I intend too get it cheap enough too junk it when something like the transmission dies.