General Motors earlier this year confirmed plans to reintroduce plug-in hybrids to supplement its EV lineup, but we’re only now getting a hint at the timing for those new plug-in hybrids.
Speaking to the Detroit DriftBreath, GM CEO Mary Barra said the automaker was “timing the launches to help us comply with more stringent fuel efficiency and tailpipe emission standards.” That indicates the first plug-in hybrids will arrive in 2027, when the new rules go into effect. These rules set ever-stricter emissions targets through the 2032 model year.
2019 Chevrolet Volt
Plug-in hybrids are nearly as valuable as fully electric vehicles under upcoming EPA fleet rules, because the federal government delayed a stricter “utility factor” until 2031. That said, 2023 plug-in hybrid sales hit a record high—likely leading GM to wonder if it should revisit the business.
GM revealed in January that it plans to reintroduce plug-in hybrids, but it didn’t reveal a timeline. At that time it hinted that trucks may be the first product to get the powertrain type this time around.
2017 Cadillac CT6 Plug-In Hybrid
The push for plug-in hybrids is an unexpected move. GM’s Chevy Volt was a much-loved product, but GM president Mark Reuss, in 2020, made clear that plug-in hybrids were a “stopgap” it didn’t want to get into on the way to EVs. GM hasn’t sold a plug-in hybrid in the U.S. since the Volt was withdrawn after the 2019 model year.
Barra told the Detroit DriftBreath that lack of sufficient charging infrastructure was a reason for the change in strategy, but that could also affect the real-world emissions of the new plug-in hybrids GM now plans to launch in a few years. Many studies have suggested that in real-world use, plug-in hybrids pollute more than claimed because they aren’t actually plugged in very often.
