GM Bringing Back Plug-In Hybrids, Chevy Equinox Could Be the First

• General Motors plans to once again sell plug-in hybrids in North America, and we think the redesigned Chevy Equinox will be the first.

• GM CEO Mary Barra recently confirmed that PHEVs will return, also saying, "... the technology is already in production in other markets."

• We suspect GM could bring over one of its China-market PHEV setups.

GM has struggled to build new electric vehicles based on its Ultium battery platform. With the company falling well short of its goal of selling 400,000 EVs between 2022 and the middle of 2024, it has been forced to set a new course, one that includes once again selling plug-in hybrids in North America. While GM hasn't said which models will get the PHEV treatment, we think the redesigned Chevy Equinox is the most likely candidate.

During an earnings call last month, GM CEO Mary Barry confirmed the company's plans to offer a plug-in-hybrid powertrain on certain models in the U.S. However, she didn't say anything about which ones will have a PHEV variant, nor did she mention any specific details about the powertrain itself. Barra said that information will be shared at a later date, but she also provided a pretty big clue that fueled our speculation, saying, "... the technology is already in production in other markets."

The 2019 Chevy Volt was the last plug-in hybrid that GM sold in America. That compact hatchback lasted for nine model years over two generations, considerably longer than its Cadillac ELR sibling, or the short-lived Cadillac CT6 PHEV that was built in China and dropped from the U.S. lineup after the 2018 model year. Still, we think China will once again be the source of GM's plug-in-hybrid technology on our shores.