©Reuters. GM dealers pressure automakers to introduce more hybrid options
In an exclusive article in Monday's Wall Street Journal, a General Motors (NYSE:) advisory committee of influential auto dealers has urged the Detroit automaker to introduce additional hybrid models. It was reported that pressure was being applied.
Dealers worry that without more hybrid options, they risk losing customers who want to delay the transition to fully electric cars.
Anonymous sources said the committee had several meetings where dealers urged General Motors to add hybrid vehicles to its lineup. In recent years, GM has largely abandoned hybrid vehicles and focused on fully electric vehicles.
GM executives acknowledge the dealers' input, but have not yet committed to a future hybrid option, the people said.
It's common for automakers to seek input from dealers on vehicle plans, but the specific details of upcoming models are usually kept secret.
Dealers are urging GM to consider hybrid models, adding to the challenges facing CEO Mary Barra as EV plans continue to stall. This change will be a significant shift for GM, which, unlike its competitors, has focused on EVs and largely ignored hybrids.
At a recent event in Detroit, Barra hinted at the possibility of introducing hybrid cars in the United States and highlighted GM's existing sales of hybrid cars in China.
“I still believe that ultimately we want to move to EVs as soon as possible,” she said. She added that the company has the technology and will continue to evaluate where the market is.
GM has introduced hybrid vehicles to the United States intermittently over the past 20 years. In the mid-2000s, hybrid versions of large SUVs such as the GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade were released, but sales were poor and production was discontinued within a few years.
In 2010, GM was an early adopter of plug-in hybrids with the Chevrolet Volt, delivering about 40 miles of electric range before switching to a gas generator. Despite being praised for its engineering, the Bolt faced financial losses and fell short of GM's sales goals, leading to its end of production in 2019.
GM executives have expressed skepticism about hybrid technology in recent years, potentially diverting attention from the company's overarching goal of achieving near-exclusive electric vehicle sales by 2035. have expressed concerns that there is.
GM stock rose 0.17% in midday trading Monday.