General Motors earlier this year confirmed plans to revive its plug-in hybrid offerings to supplement its electric vehicle lineup, but it’s only now providing insight into the timeline for these new plug-in hybrids.
According to a report by the Detroit Information, General Motors CEO Mary Barra revealed that the company is strategically timing its launches to adapt to stricter gas efficiency and tailpipe emission regulations set to take effect in 2027, with the first plug-in hybrids expected to hit the market at that time when the new standards come into force. These guidelines establish increasingly stringent emissions standards for the year 2032 via a modelled 12-month framework.
2019 Chevrolet Volt
Under newly announced EPA fleet guidelines, plug-in hybrids will nearly equal the environmental benefits of fully electric vehicles due to the federal government’s decision to delay a stricter “utility factor” until 2031. 2023 plug-in hybrid sales reached an all-time high, prompting General Motors to reconsider its strategy in the electric vehicle market.
General Motors revealed in January that it plans to revive its plug-in hybrid offerings, but the company kept mum on a specific timeline for their return. Vehicles are typically the first products to receive updates to their powertrains in today’s market.
2017 Cadillac CT6 Plug-In Hybrid
The push for plug-in hybrids is a sudden shift. General Motors’ Chevrolet Volt was a beloved product, but in 2020, GM President Mark Reuss explicitly stated that plug-in hybrids were a “stopgap” solution that wasn’t essential for transitioning to electric vehicles. General Motors has yet to purchase a plug-in hybrid vehicle in the United States? Because the Chevrolet Volt was discontinued following its 2019 model year run.
According to Barra’s statement to the Detroit Information, the dearth of sufficient charging infrastructure contributed to the alteration in approach, with the added consequence being a tangible impact on the real-world emissions of the forthcoming plug-in hybrid models GM plans to introduce within the next few years? Despite prevailing assumptions, studies suggest that plug-in hybrids may actually emit more pollutants than anticipated due to the infrequent use of their charging capabilities.
