GM is planning hybrids for its U.S. lineup as EV sales slow hero imageGeneral Motors confirmed plans to add hybrid vehicles to its U.S. lineup, with a senior executive saying the automaker intends to meet customers where demand is heading even as it maintains a long-term commitment to all-electric vehicles.Mike Anderson, GM's vice president of propulsion engineering, told CNBC that hybrids are "part of the plan" but declined to give a timeline. "We're not tone deaf to our customers," Anderson said. "We know what they want and we want to give that to them as quickly as we can."According to Anderson, GM plans to draw on both in-house engineering and third-party suppliers for its hybrid technology, with the balance depending on cost and vehicle segment. "We're deliberate because, usually for strategic reasons, we need to control our own destiny," he said.GM has spent most of this decade on the sidelines of the hybrid market, channeling investment into its all-electric ambitions instead. At present, GM sells just a single hybrid — a Chevrolet Corvette variant — across its entire lineup. Before that, the automaker's most notable hybrid effort was the Chevrolet Volt plug-in, which GM killed off in 2019, according to CNBC.In January, GM CEO Mary Barra indicated the company was still evaluating PHEVs — plug-in hybrid electric vehicles — for the U.S. market and mentioned a "handful" of such models were coming, though she did not offer a specific timeline, according to CNBC. In mid-2024, GM announced plans to introduce PHEVs by 2027, a move driven in part by tougher federal tailpipe emissions rules that the Trump administration has since rolled back or removed.AutoForecast Solutions, an automotive consulting firm, projects that GM will start selling PHEVs sometime between late 2027 and early 2028, spanning its lineup from the Equinox to the Silverado, according to the outlet. Casey Selecman, who leads powertrain forecasting at the firm, said past missteps with technology bets have made GM reluctant to commit quickly to its PHEV rollout, according to the outlet.The hybrid push comes as demand for those vehicles grows. U.S. hybrid sales in the second quarter rose 23% from a year earlier, reaching a record 16.3% of total U.S. vehicle sales, according to the outlet, citing Cox Automotive data. EVs accounted for roughly 5.8% of sales over the same period, Cox said. Compact crossover and mid-size segments are seeing the fastest hybrid growth.Ford Motor and Stellantis, the Chrysler parent that competes with GM in Detroit, have both tapped outside suppliers as a way to accelerate their entry into the hybrid segment, according to the outlet. Nissan is also pushing into the segment — the company revealed a hybrid version of its 2027 Rogue for the U.S. market, using a series-hybrid system in which the gasoline engine generates electricity to power drive motors rather than turning the wheels directly.
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