Question of the Day: Can Hybrids Save GM?

by Michael Strong

Published: October 28th, 2026

So now that Mary Barra and the rest of the executive leadership has figured out that hybrids are more than a passing fad, they’ve elected to commit $750 million to renovate its plant in Lansing, Michigan to start building some.

Currently, GM’s only hybrid is … the Corvette. Yup. And that’s not to save gas, it’s to cut time off its zero-to-60 mph time really. Really, not the worst hybrid concept by any stretch, but not what most people think of when they consider hybrids.

The automaker plans to build hybrid versions of the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia, which is a great place to start. Dealers have been screaming for hybrids for a while now and GM’s market share has dropped nearly a full point since the start of this year, falling from 17.4 percent to 16.6 percent.

With demand for hybrids continuing to rise has GM made the right decision or is this too little too late? Let us know.

[Images: General Motors]

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Michael Strong

Michael Strong has spent more than 25 years writing about the automotive industry. A Detroit-area native, he’s written about everything from local car shows to product reviews to financial news. Currently he writes and edits for a variety of national and local publications. He’s also a longtime member of the Automotive Press Association and the International Motor Press Association, and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Hail Southern! Despite a love for ’70s land yachts and BMWs from the late ’80s and early ’90s, his personal vehicle is neither of those.

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3 of 32 comments

Dwford on Oct 29, 2026

What's taking so long for the Equinox hybrid? The current generation launched in China with a hybrid system, all GM had to do was certify it for the US emissions.

1 Reply
- MaintenanceCosts on Oct 29, 2026
  
  Probably putting US production infrastructure in place to build it.
  
  Like
Tane94 on Oct 29, 2026

Mary dropped the ball by not having more hybrid vehicles available this year. But the GM Board keeps rewarding her incompetence with stock options and a multi-million $ salary.

2 Reply
- Slavuta on Oct 29, 2026
  
  Typical American story. Incompetence pays.
  
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