• Buick is postponing the launch of its first electric vehicle in North America to a future date.
As we've seen in recent months, automakers are rethinking their electrification timelines in the face of softening demand. The objectives themselves aren’t being dropped; in the long term, electrification is still seen as inevitable. But with demand for EVs softening, tweaks to the scheduling are in order.
What’s more, as automakers adjust to growing demand for hybrid models in the short term, no manufacturer wants to be the one left behind, without adequate offerings in that sector.
Overall, General Motors has been advancing rapidly on the electric front in the last 18 months. But there is one brand in its stable that has not: Buick.
It looks like that’s not going to change in the immediate. The first Buick EV set to hit the North American market was supposed to debut for 2025, but that has been postponed, according to General Motors (GM) CEO Mary Barra, who spoke with Automotive News.
Barra did not specify when Buick would offer its first electric vehicle, but sha said that because the market was evolving more slowly than expected, GM was realigning its investments with demand.
That’s not the only problem. Buick actually already manufactures two all-electric models, the Electra E4 and E5, as well as the Velite 6 wagon, a plug-in hybrid. But these vehicles are made in China, and last May, the Biden administration quadrupled tariffs on electric vehicles manufactured there, making it uneconomical to bring them to the U.S. market.
Buick has plans for North America for the Electra E5, but if it is to do so, it will have to assemble it elsewhere than in China.
If you're among those waiting for Buick's first EV, you'll have to be patient... or look elsewhere.
