GM Reportedly Plans Hybrid Versions of Its Three-Row SUVs
General Motors will build hybrids at its Lansing Delta Township plant in Michigan. Reports point to the Traverse, Enclave and Acadia as the first models.
GM wants hybrids in its showrooms again, and its big family SUVs are reportedly first in line. The move follows a heavy bet on electric vehicles that US demand did not support.
An all-electric plan that stalled
For about a decade GM largely ignored hybrids. It aimed to move from a line-up dominated by combustion engines to a full range of EVs. President Donald Trump then scrapped the federal EV tax credit, and demand for electric vehicles across the United States collapsed.
Earlier this year CEO Mary Barra said GM was "trying to be very thoughtful" about hybrids and plug-in hybrids. She added that the company's ultimate "end game" remains EVs.
EV spending is cut, not ended
GM expects a $7.6 billion charge for reduced EV spending. That is smaller than the $19.5 billion write-down Ford took late last year after cancelling several EV projects.
The company also sold its 49.99% stake in a joint-venture plant with Samsung SDI earlier this year, citing declining EV demand. Yet this month it previewed a fourth-generation EV platform. It is developing lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) batteries too, which would offer 33% more energy density than current LFP batteries at roughly the same cost.
Lansing and the three-row SUVs
Hybrids are a thin category for GM today. The only ones it builds are Corvettes: the right-hand-drive E-Ray, the Grand Sport X and the ZR1X.
On the latest earnings call, Barra confirmed that hybrids will be built at the Lansing Delta Township plant in Michigan. GM is investing $1.25 billion in the site to prepare for them. She did not say which existing models would get hybrid powertrains.
Sources told Reuters the models are the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia. All three are already built at Lansing. Barra noted that hybrids will be offered across multiple segments.
What is known about the powertrains
Technical details are limited. GM is believed to be working on both traditional hybrids and plug-in hybrids. A report from early October suggested the first plug-in models would launch next year or in early 2028. They could offer up to 70 miles (113 km) of all-electric range, and the Chevrolet Equinox and Silverado are among those expected to get plug-in versions.
Our view
GM is hedging, not reversing. Hybrids at Lansing let it sell fuel-efficient SUVs to buyers who are not ready for an EV, while the new platform and battery work keep the electric plan alive. The open questions are which models get hybrids first and when plug-ins actually reach showrooms. A formal product announcement, or Barra's next earnings call, is where those answers should appear.
Source: CarScoops