It was reported last week that along with Saturn, GM will lose a quarter of its hybrid sales when the automaker ends production of the brand with the 2009 model year lineup. However, there may be a solution.

According to Tom Stephens, GM’s vice chairman of global product development, the next-generation GM hybrid technology will not be delayed when Saturn ends production later this year.

Stephens told Automotive News that the hybrid drivetrain for the plug-in Saturn Vue will still come to fleets in early 2011 and may also be offered to customers in one of GM’s four core brands – Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC or Buick.

Likely candidates for GM’s plug-in hybrid technology could be the Chevrolet Equinox or the GMC Terrain – both which are similar to the Vue in size.

“The technology does not go away. We are going to plug it in,” Stephens said. “We’ll go to fleets first and see where it goes after that.”

- By: Omar Rana