
- General Motors is responding to customer demand for hybrid vehicles.
- First plug-in hybrids could arrive next year with around 70 miles of electric range.
- Popular models such as the Equinox and Silverado could get the PHEV treatment.
The national average price for a gallon of gasoline has dropped to $4.37, but it’s still $1.24 more than a year ago. This has pushed a number of consumers to fuel-efficient vehicles such as hybrids.
Hyundai hybrid sales soared 39% last month to hit a new September record. Honda sold over 106,000 hybrids in the third quarter, which was also a record. Likewise, sales of electrified vehicles at Toyota were up 36.6% in September and up 29.2% in the third quarter.
More: US Hybrid Sales Are Full Steam Ahead, But EV-Focused GM Missed The Boat
Over at GM, third quarter sales dropped 5.5% to 670,974 units. Year-to-date sales are also down 6.4% and part of this can be blamed on a lack of hybrids. The automaker went all-in on EVs, which means its only hybrid in America is the $110,000 Corvette Grand Sport X.
Needless to say, GM missed the mark with a big EV that bet didn’t pan out as expected, and now it doesn’t have the fuel-efficient hybrids that people actually want. However, it looks like the automaker could be reversing its course to correct that mistake.
Speaking to CNBC, GM’s Vice President of Propulsion Engineering said hybrids are coming as the company isn’t “tone deaf to our customers.” Mike Anderson added, “We know what they want and we want to give that to them as quickly as we can.”
While Anderson declined to give a timeframe or say which models would be electrified, AutoForecast Solutions is expecting plug-in hybrids to arrive late next year or in early 2028. These are rumored to have an electric-only range of around 70 miles (113 km). Details are hazy, but its sounds like popular models – such as the Chevrolet Equinox and Silverado – will get the PHEV treatment.
China’s Equinox PHEV
This shouldn’t be too surprising as Chevrolet already offers a plug-in hybrid version of the Equinox in China. It features a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine, an electric motor, and a 16.5 or 24.4 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery. This setup gives the crossover a combined output of 365 hp (272 kW / 370 PS) and 417 lb-ft (565 Nm) of torque. The model can accelerate from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in as little as 6.8 seconds and travel up to 96 miles (155 km) on electricity alone.
While GM is giving hybrids and plug-in hybrids a second look, Anderson said the company’s “long-term vision is an all-electric future.” However, he admitted “it’s going to be a journey that involves technology diversity” in the meantime.
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