GM confirms hybrid vehicles are part of its U.S. plans
GM says hybrids are coming to its U.S. lineup, but it has not disclosed models, powertrains or a launch date.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
2 min read
General Motors says hybrid vehicles will be part of its U.S. plans, marking a shift for an automaker that has focused heavily on fully electric models. The GM hybrid vehicles plan remains short on details: the company has not named models, said which hybrid systems it will use, or set a release date.
Mike Anderson, GM’s vice president of propulsion engineering, told CNBC that hybrids are “part of the plan.” He said the company was responding to customer demand while declining to discuss prospective products or timing.
When will GM hybrid vehicles arrive?
GM has not announced when its first new U.S. hybrid models will go on sale. The company also has not said whether its coming vehicles will be conventional hybrids, plug-in hybrids, or both.
That distinction matters for buyers. A conventional hybrid combines a gasoline engine, electric motor and battery, while a plug-in hybrid, or PHEV, has a larger battery that can be charged externally and can travel some distance on electric power before the engine is needed.
GM said in mid-2024 that it intended to introduce PHEVs by 2027, CNBC reported. Chief Executive Mary Barra said in January that GM was assessing both plug-in and conventional hybrids for the U.S. market, and later said a handful of models were on the way without offering a schedule.
AutoForecast Solutions, an industry consulting firm, expects GM to begin offering PHEVs between late 2027 and early 2028, according to CNBC. The firm’s forecast included possible coverage from the Equinox to the Silverado, but GM has not confirmed that timetable or those vehicles.
GM retains an all-electric long-term goal
GM has been largely absent from the hybrid market this decade as it directed resources toward battery-electric vehicles, CNBC reported. Anderson said the company’s long-term goal is still an all-electric future, though he described the route to it as involving a range of technologies.
The announcement comes as hybrid demand has gained ground in the U.S. Cox Automotive reported that hybrid sales rose 23% in the second quarter from a year earlier and accounted for a record 16.3% of U.S. vehicle sales. Battery-electric vehicles represented about 5.8% of sales in the same period, Cox said.
GM’s confirmation establishes its direction but leaves the practical questions unresolved for prospective buyers: which badges will receive hybrid power, what they will cost and when they will reach dealerships.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.