GM Didn't Want Hybrids. Now It's Putting Them In Its Biggest SUVs: Report
General Motors plans to introduce hybrid versions of the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave, and GMC Acadia, Reuters reports.
General Motors once envisioned leapfrogging hybrid technology and jumping straight into an all-electric future. Not too long ago, it announced plans to join the hybrid boom in the U.S.—and now we know where the powertrain may land in its lineup.
GM is planning to build hybrid versions of the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave, and GMC Acadia three-row SUVs, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the plans. GM itself announced on Tuesday that it will build hybrids at a Lansing, Michigan, factory, adding that "details about nameplates and timing will be shared closer to launch." All three models are built in Lansing.
The automaker ran hard at electric vehicles over the last several years, developing one of the country's broadest battery-powered lineups. But it sells just one low-volume hybrid in the U.S., the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray. It's behind Ford in that regard, which has a relatively narrow hybrid lineup itself but sells trucks like the Maverick Hybrid and F-150 Hybrid in large numbers. Stellantis killed off its lineup of plug-in hybrids after fuel-economy regulations fell away and it too has lagged behind on regular hybrids as companies like Honda, Hyundai, and especially Toyota sell increasing numbers of them.
In early 2024, GM first signaled a pivot away from its all-in-on-EVs strategy. CEO Mary Barra mentioned that the company would bring back plug-in hybrids on an earnings call. Since then, GM has reaffirmed plans to sell hybrids in the U.S.—"we're not tone-deaf to our consumers," one executive told CNBC not too long ago—without saying exactly which vehicles would get the treatment.
Hybrids came about around the turn of the 20th century and stagnated at about 2% of the U.S. car market for years. But recently they've been booming as EVs have faltered. In the third quarter, hybrids made up 16% of car sales in the country, beating the roughly 6% share claimed by EVs.
Contact the author: Tim.Levin@InsideEVs.com
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