GM says hybrid vehicles are coming: 'We're not tone deaf to our customers'

General Motors confirmed plans to introduce hybrid vehicles into its U.S. lineup as sales of traditional hybrids and plug-in hybrids surge amid softening electric vehicle demand and elevated fuel prices.

Mike Anderson, GM's vice president of propulsion engineering, told CNBC that hybrids remain "part of the plan" but declined to specify timing. "We're not tone deaf to our customers," Anderson said. "We know what they want and we want to give that to them as quickly as we can."

GM has largely stayed out of the hybrid market over the past decade, betting resources on all-electric vehicles instead. The pivot comes as hybrid sales accelerated sharply. Cox Automotive reported hybrid sales in the second quarter of 2026 jumped 23% year-over-year to capture a record 16.3% of U.S. vehicle sales, compared with roughly 5.8% for EVs. The fastest-growing segments are compact crossovers and mid-size vehicles.

CEO Mary Barra said in January that GM was evaluating plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and traditional hybrids for its U.S. lineup, adding that a "handful" of such models were coming without providing a timeline. In mid-2024, GM announced plans to introduce PHEVs by 2027 when federal tailpipe emissions standards were stricter. Those standards have since been lowered or eliminated under the Trump administration.

AutoForecast Solutions expects GM to begin offering PHEVs in late 2027 to early 2028 with a 70-mile EV range across its portfolio. Casey Selecman, the firm's director of powertrain forecasts, said GM has multiple PHEVs planned ranging from the Equinox to the Silverado but has exercised caution due to past losses from shifts in customer technology preferences.

Anderson said GM's strategy will combine internal and external technologies based on cost and segment. "We're deliberate because, usually for strategic reasons, we need to control our own destiny," he said. "Or, if it's commodity, go get it. Go get the best price you can."

GM currently offers only one hybrid, the Chevrolet Corvette. The automaker discontinued its Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid in 2019. Rivals Ford and Stellantis have moved faster by leaning on suppliers to bring hybrids to market.

Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Cox's director of industry insights, said hybrid vehicles represent "the clearest growth story in the electrified market."