2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray Hybrid Sports Car
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Detroit — general motors The company plans to introduce a hybrid model to its U.S. lineup as car sales continue to grow due to rising gas prices and a backlash from fully electric vehicles.
Mike Anderson, GM’s vice president of propulsion engineering, reaffirmed the automaker’s hybrid plans, but declined to say when the hybrid vehicles would be available, which had previously been expected as early as next year.
Anderson, a 35-year GM veteran, said in an interview with CNBC, “It’s no exaggeration to say (hybrid) is part of the plan.” “We’re not tone-deaf to our customers. We know what they want and we want to give it to them as quickly as possible.”
GM has had little involvement in the hybrid market over the past decade, instead focusing its resources “full force” on all-electric vehicles. But Anderson said the company needs to meet customer demand wherever it is, with weak demand for EVs, industry deregulation and growing popularity of hybrids.
“Our long-term vision is an all-electric future. That’s our goal,” Anderson said. “This is the end state, but it will be a journey with a diversity of technologies.”
GM CEO Mary Barra said in January that the company was researching plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) for its U.S. lineup as well as traditional hybrids, but remained critical of the technology. She also told Bloomberg later that month that a “small number” of such models would appear, but did not provide a timeline.
In mid-2024, GM announced plans to introduce PHEVs by 2027. At the time, GM was under pressure to meet stricter federal tailpipe emissions standards that have since been lowered or eliminated by the Trump administration.
Autoforecast Solutions, an automotive data and consulting firm, expects GM to begin offering PHEVs with 70 miles of EV range “across the portfolio” in late 2027 or early 2028, according to Casey Selekman, the company’s director of powertrain forecasting.
“GM has plans for multiple PHEVs across its portfolio, from the Equinox to the Silverado, but has been very cautious in the past with their rollout due to concerns about changing customer technology preferences,” he said.
Anderson declined to discuss the potential product or timing of GM’s first new hybrid model.
“As for our future plans, without me having to say it, we know that our customers are hungry for these things and are asking for them,” he said. “We want to meet them where they want to be.”
Sales of hybrid models in the U.S. are surging as demand for electric vehicles slumps, gas prices soar and GM ramps up products in a market it has been missing.
Cox Automotive reported that hybrid vehicle sales rose 23% in the second quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, accounting for a record 16.3% of U.S. sales from April to June. Cox said this represents about 5.8% of EV sales.
Types of EV/hybrid vehicles
The automotive industry has more powertrain and “propulsion” options than ever before. The breakdown is as follows:
Internal Combustion Engine (ICE): A “traditional” vehicle with a gasoline or diesel-powered engine. Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV): An ICE vehicle that functions much like a non-hybrid vehicle, but may include minimal electric features such as a small battery, regenerative braking, and an electric motor. Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV): Think Toyota Prius. This is a vehicle that combines a hybrid powertrain system with a hybrid powertrain system. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV): These vehicles have an internal combustion engine combined with a hybrid system that includes a larger battery and a plug for charging the vehicle’s battery than traditional hybrid vehicles. Typically, a driver can use a battery to drive a certain number of miles before an engine is needed to power the car or truck. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV): These fully electric vehicles do not have an internal combustion engine. Instead, it has an electric motor powered by a large battery. Must be charged using a power outlet and charging port or charging station. Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs): Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and devices are very similar to BEVs, but are powered by electricity generated from hydrogen and oxygen rather than pure batteries, typically containing lithium. The fuel is filled with a nozzle, just like in a conventional gasoline or diesel car. Extended Range Electric Vehicles (EREVs): These are emerging technologies that primarily function as PHEVs, but when the battery runs out of energy to power the vehicle, the engine acts as a generator, powering only the electric motor. The vehicle drives like an EV, with the engine not directly powering the vehicle’s motion.
Automakers are introducing a growing number of hybrid vehicles, and these vehicles typically combine a traditional gasoline engine with an electric motor and battery to provide better fuel economy and often better performance.
Cox said the fastest growing segments for hybrid vehicles in the U.S. are compact crossovers/SUVs and midsize vehicles.
“Hybrid vehicles continue to be the most obvious growth story in the electrification market,” Stephanie Valdez Streeti, director of industry insights at Cox, said in a presentation last week.
Several hybrids are currently available in the United States. While traditional hybrids such as the Toyota Prius feature a lot of electrified engine technology, PHEVs have an all-electric driving range specified before using the engine to power the vehicle.
There are also long-range electric vehicles, or “series hybrids,” which drive like EVs but have an engine that essentially acts like a generator to power an electric motor to propel the vehicle.
Data shows that gas-electric hybrid drivers are less likely to trade in for another driver. GM has temporarily halted production of the Chevrolet Bolt plug-in car.
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Combining the two powertrains further increases complexity and cost, which is GM’s argument against hybrids, but as hybrid sales continue to rise, many consumers seem willing to pay.
GM currently offers only one hybrid model of the Chevrolet Corvette. The Detroit automaker’s last serious push into hybrid was the Chevrolet Bolt Plug-in, which was discontinued in 2019.
GM’s crosstown rival ford motor and Chrysler’s parent company Stellantishas relied on suppliers to bring hybrid vehicles to market faster.
Anderson said GM’s strategy will be to “mix and match” internal and external technologies based on cost, segment and product.
“We act in a planned manner, usually for strategic reasons, because we need to control our destiny. We need to control our timing,” he said. “Or if it’s a product, go buy it. Go buy it at the lowest possible price.”
