Yahoo Autos General Motors Will Reportedly Launch Its Next Plug-In Hybrid in 2027
In an interview with The Detroit News (paywalled), GM CEO Mary Barra said the company's next plug-in hybrid will launch in North America in 2027.
Barra also said the timing is due to the newly updated federal emissions standards, which affect cars and trucks from the 2027–2032 model years.
While GM hasn't yet revealed the name of the new PHEV, Barra said "... we've got the technology. We're deploying it today in China." We think it could be the Chevy Equinox.
General Motors will launch its first new plug-in-hybrid model in years in North America in 2027. That's according to GM CEO Marra Barra, who in an interview last week with The Detroit News, confirmed the new PHEV's expected arrival date. The Chevy Volt, which was discontinued after the 2019 model year, was GM's last plug-in hybrid.
GM's New PHEV Plans
While 2027 might be a little longer than some of us were expecting, Barra said the timing has a lot to do with the EPA's recently updated rules regarding federal emissions standards. Along with aiming to cut tailpipe emissions in half by 2055, the government mandate will affect cars and trucks starting with the 2027 model year through 2032.
Barra also told The News that GM changed its position from focusing solely on EVs to bringing some PHEV models to the U.S. market because of the new regulatory standards. She said, "... plug-in hybrids are an important part of meeting the regulatory space and giving consumers more options, so as the regulatory space evolved, it made sense for us to assess our strategy."
Equinox PHEV Coming to America?
Of course, the question on most peoples' mind is what GM model will get the plug-in-hybrid treatment. As Car and Driver speculated earlier this year, we think it could very well be the Chevy Equinox. Why? Well, Barra herself has provided an important clue, saying earlier this year that GM has already deployed the technology in other markets. Then, during her interview last week with The News, she's quoted as saying, "As we've said, we've got the technology. We're deploying it today in China."
Currently, General Motors sells two plug-in hybrids in the Chinese market: the Buick Velite 6 and the new Chevy Equinox Plus PHEV. The latter marks the debut of GM's next-gen plug-in-hybrid powertrain, according to GM Authority. The setup combines an electric motor and a 177-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter gas engine with a 188-hp electric motor. While it's still a few years out, we expect to see a similar 2027 Chevy Equinox PHEV on our shores.
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