Electric cars are becoming more popular, but making them is still hard for companies. General Motors (GM) is one of those companies. They’ve decided to make plug-in hybrid cars to help meet the demand for electric cars. Now, they’ve announced when they plan to start making these new cars.
GM’s CEO, Mary Barra, said they’re planning to start making these new plug-in hybrid cars in 2027. They want to follow new rules about how much pollution cars can make. These rules are getting stricter over time. GM was one of the first companies to say they wanted to make more electric cars. But now, the rules have changed.
One big problem with electric cars is charging them. Barra said, “We do see that hybrids will be part of the solution.” She means that until there are more places to charge electric cars, hybrids that can also use gas will be important. GM hasn’t made a plug-in hybrid car since they stopped making the Chevy Volt in 2019.
Some people like being the first to try new things, even if they have some problems. But now, regular people who buy cars are less patient with problems. Plug-in hybrids are good because they let you drive using electricity but also have a backup gas engine.
An expert named Sam Abuelsamid said GM’s plan might seem slow, but it gives them time to make cars that people really want. He said, “Ideally, they would probably like to have it sooner, but, from a practical standpoint, they’ve got to design it (PHEV tech) into the vehicles … and it’s got to align with vehicle program timing.”
