GM To Fall Short Of 500,000 Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Goal For 2017GM To Fall Short Of 500,000 Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Goal For 2017

In November 2012, General Motors announced a goal of putting 500,000 electrified vehicles on the road by 2017.
That encompasses any type of vehicle that uses electricity as motive power, from mild hybrids to plug-in hybrids, and from extended-range electric cars to all-electric vehicles.
Two and a half years later, the company now says it will not be able to achieve that goal.
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There were 180,834 GM vehicles on the road in 2014 with some form of electrification, according to the carmaker’s 2014 Sustainability Report as reported by The Detroit News.
That’s up from 153,034 in 2013 and 39,843 in 2011. GM counts vehicles made as far back as the 2010 model year.
The total includes conventional hybrids, plug-in hybrids, all-electric cars, the range-extended Chevrolet Volt and Cadillac ELR, and mild hybrids.
2016 Chevrolet Volt
GM reportedly expected its eAssist mild hybrids to make up a much larger share of the total, predicting “hundreds of thousands” of cars would use its eAssist system by 2017.
Instead, the number of models available with eAssist or similar systems has steadily fallen. It’s now offered only on the Buick Regal and LaCrosse.
The company blames low gas prices and a “surge” in competitive products for failure to achieve its sales target.
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And GM’s own planned product expansion apparently won’t be enough.
The second-generation 2016 Chevrolet Volt will launch later this year, followed by a redesigned 2016 Malibu Hybrid that uses an adapted version of its Voltec system, but with a much smaller battery pack.
GM will also launch the 2016 Cadillac CT6 PHEV plug-in hybrid this year and, further down the line, the 200-mile 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV.
2016 Chevrolet Malibu
In the face of low gasoline prices, GM believes improving conventional internal-combustion powertrains is the best way to improve fuel efficiency–while still ensuring strong sales.
It also plans to continue work on reducing weight through extensive use of high-strength steel, aluminum, and carbon fiber. It claims it can reduce an average vehicle’s mass by up to 15 percent through design and material changes.
GM says it now has six vehicles available in the U.S. that get 40 mpg highway or better–up from five in 2013.
MORE: 47-MPG Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid: Volt’s Sibling Without A Plug May Be First Of Several: MORE UPDATES
All are Chevrolets, but each is not a distinct model.
The group includes the Chevy Cruze, Cruze Eco, Sonic sedan and hatchback, Volt, and Spark EV electric car.
The company hopes to have eight vehicles with 40 mpg highway or more on sale by 2017.
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