General Motors has switched strategies when it comes to its electrification goals, announcing earlier this year that it will reintroduce plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) to the North American market. Previously, GM planned to skip hybrids entirely in a bid to transition straight from internal combustion engines to fully electric vehicles. Now, GM North America President Marissa West has outlined GM’s new North American PHEV plans in a recent interview.
Per a report from Automotive News, GM plans to implement an “ambidextrous strategy” for electrification, offering both internal combustion engine (ICE) and fully electric vehicle (EV) options for the time being. However, West emphasized that PHEVs have a place in the automaker’s lineup “both from a compliance standpoint as well as a customer’s journey to full electric.”
“We are going to meet [customers] where they’re at, whether they are interested in a PHEV because they like having some capability of electric vehicle range, but perhaps they’re not ready to fully take the plunge with an electric vehicle,” West explained.
“It seems that a PHEV is appealing to people with range anxiety who want to do most of their day-to-day driving on electric power but need the confidence for long road trips or trailering where charging options may be limited,” West added.
The mention of trailering coincides with previous GM Authority coverage indicating that GM is considering developing a PHEV pickup truck model.
GM CEO Mary Barra announced the automaker’s revised electrification approach as part of its Q4 2023 earnings report, emphasizing that PHEVs would help GM meet stringent fuel economy and emissions standards while continuing to progress towards a fully electric future by 2035. “Deploying plug-in technology in strategic segments will deliver some of the environmental benefits of EVs as the nation continues to build its charging infrastructure,” Barra stated.
Interestingly, while GM is actively launching several new PHEVs in China, these models will not be imported to the U.S. market. Instead, GM will likely leverage existing PHEV technology developed for the Chinese market to create new models tailored for North American consumers.
As GM continues to refine its electrification strategy, expect to see the automaker’s new hybrid models hit the market by 2027.
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Comments
Converting existing GM models to hybrid involves two stragedies. First, use the technology of the Chevy Volt’s series transaxle, which integrates the electrical motors, engine clutch, and controller as one package, together with the HV battery. Second, use the parallel technology of the Chevy Corvette E-Ray which adds two electrical motors to the front wheels together with a new controller and the HV battery. Some body redesign and manufacturing changes is needed to fit the new components to the models chosen.
The “plug in” charging is just a special module added to the battery and is the easiest component to put in. Even the Chevy Corvette E-Ray can become a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in the future.
Seeing as the hybrid E-Ray goes a mile a so before the battery goes dead, just putting a plug on it will do a world of good. Maybe they can take one of the 7 or so radiators the car has and put in a dinky charger instead.
And here I thought the original 8-10 mile all electric range of the original Plug-in-Prius was a total joke. I stand corrected, since that thing is a cross-country traveler by comparison.
Well, I’ve said it many times here before, but you would have my money with an E-Ray style hybrid Camaro and also a hybrid TRX/Raptor R style truck. A V8 with added power and efficiency from electric motors plus AWD sounds pretty fantastic to me. I also think a sedan geared towards the former V8 Dodge Charger buyers would make money.
Ford is currently saying the right things.
Stellantis just turned Dodge and Ram into dead brands walking. The V8s that they offered were why many of their customers bought their vehicles. This leaves a huge opportunity to get the Challenger and Charger and V8 truck and SUV buyers that they just threw away.
Would think they’d be in the “implementation” stage by now, not market “assessment”….
Yeah, they made a really bad call on trying to just jump straight to EVs and bypass hybrids.
Amen John.
The sad part is, many people both inside and outside gm knew it was a very iffy call but Mary wanted to show everyone how bold and decisive she was as per a glowing interview in the WSJ a couple of years ago. She’s not singing that song these days.
I would say BOLD and DECISIVE has matured into a full fledged Train wreck. She need to go!
But what did you expect for $27 million a year? A CEO that is competent?
By the time they’re done assessing and decide to execute they’ll be on the back side of that opportunity. Reacting to the market in an industry with long lead times means you’re always following or missed the boat entirely.
BTW, you’re probably looking at the next CEO or President of gm when Mary or Mark finally decide to hang it up. Clearly Ms West is being groomed for the next big step.
Let’s hope Ms. West does some great things in the NA market here!
Impala, Camaro & Malibu would be good candidates for PHEV. Wait, nevermind.
Been saying forever that GM partnerships in China were going to be a very short term profit center. Profits from them lately are falling drastically.
Soon GM will be shown the door after the last bit of know how the American part of the company had has been sucked dry.
Smart move to make stuff here instead, but that doesn’t include previous idiocy. Like being in China in the first place or discontinuing their most popular models. Bringing them back wastes another 3 years in needless reinventing the wheel.
Working with China is a very bad deal IMHO. Besides all the politics now, foreign (to them) companies working in China usually have to give the govt a high % of earnings. They also tend to “steal” the tech and designs, learn what they can from a foreign company, then move away from them. And maybe worst of all, China now has the worst demographic collapse in known human history starting. The One Child policy destroyed their demographics, which now look like an upside down pyramid with more old people at the top and less young people at the bottom, instead of a normal healthy population pyramid. This is going to be devastating to their economy and I wouldn’t be surprised if they just seize all foreign assets at some point.
Automakers that want to survive need to be in China. The world’s largest automarket. Twice the size of the world’s second largest market.
Don’t be naive. It’s just business.
I’ve Been saying forever that GM partnerships in China were going to be a very short term profit center. Profits from them lately are falling drastically.
Soon GM will be shown the door after the last bit of know how the American part of the company had has been sucked dry.
Smart move to make stuff here instead, but that doesn’t include previous idiocy. Like being in China in the first place or discontinuing their most popular models. Bringing them back wastes another 3 years in needless reinventing the wheel.
Some good comments here. As a former owner of a Volt, 3 Teslas currently a Mach E (Mustang?? Really) and bought my Granddaughter the Bolt.
I’m in total agreement that plug in Hybrid is absolutely the way to go. EV’s around town fine !!
Maybe this lady — Just Maybe — can take GM back to where they need to be. Mary Barra has to GO !!!!!!
I have been saying for a long time that the hybrid model / style is the way to go until the technology can truly compete with ICE. Road trip refuel – potty break – snacks – and back on the road in about 20 minutes — FULLY capable of going the distance of a full tank of gas !!!
GO Marissa !!!!!
Finally, GM will offer electric-hybrid vehicles. The transition from gas to completly electric is just like a Cadillac owner switching to a Chevrolet Chevette to save gaz instead of switching, gradually, to a Impala and then the a Malibu.