A Cadillac crossover that heralds a slew of other electric models will make its public debut in April, Cadillac executives told dealers on Monday. The meet-up, reported by Automotive News, comes as General Motors readies a surge of EVs over the next few years. Cadillac will play a major role in that product transition.
Per that same meeting, Cadillac’s dealer council has created a subcommittee made up of dealers and brand execs to help smooth the entry of gas-free product.
It seems inevitable that the unnamed Cadillac EV — a midsize crossover riding atop a dedicated electric platform — will show its face at the New York auto show, which opens its doors to the public on April 10th. The brand first revealed the upcoming vehicle via images shown at last year’s Detroit show.
With Cadillac spearheading GM’s EV ramp-up, dealers need to prepare. The subcommittee of three dealers and three execs will “study what electric vehicles are going to do to our operations now because they are coming quicker rather than later,” said dealer council chairman David Butler.
In December, GM’s electrification boss said the first Caddy EV would reach customers in a little over a year, pointing to a Q1 2021 on-sale date. More will follow, as GM expects to field 20 fully electric models by 2023, with Cadillac playing a large role. Still, the brand has only just filled the wide gaps in its conventional lineup with models like the XT4 and XT6.
The two crops will each require nurturing, Cadillac President Steve Carlisle told AN.
“The big-picture message [to dealers] is let’s embrace the opportunity with the current portfolio,” Carlisle said. “We enter this decade as an internal combustion engine brand. We want to position ourselves to exit as a battery-electric brand, so we have to manage both at the same time.”
How exactly Cadillac plans to do that remains unsaid, but when it comes to electric vehicles, knowledge is key. Information relating to charging solutions and the specific features of the looming crossover model will need to be hammered into dealers so that customers will feel at ease. For the vast majority of buyers, this will be their first EV. Mystery may be enticing on screen, but certainly doesn’t belong in a dealership.
There’s also a pressing need for Cadillac shops to install potent recharging points.
[Image: General Motors]
Imagine spending your hard earned money on an EV Cadillac. Yikes.
*shrug* back in the day Cadillac used to be about quiet, smooth luxury. Seems like EV would be a perfect fit.
Those 472s and 500s were hopelessly low-powered for their displacement, but damn if they didn’t do their jobs with a minimum of noise or vibration.
Electric motors are torquey in a way that no V8 could match.
The Tesla Model S was what Cadillac should have done a decade ago.
I just mean the quiet smooth character. Neck-snapping torque is so “un-Cadillac.”
The only Cadillac that sells in any quantity is the Escalade. The chief complaint about their other models seems to be that they need MOAR V8!!! So obviously, their customers are very concerned about the environment, and this move will have the hoards banging down the dealership doors.
Most of the CUV line sells pretty well. Which is good because the sedans have become rounding errors.
The Bolt is just about GM slowest selling passenger vehicle. Chevrolet sells only 17,000 Bolts a year. The division will probably sell three times as many Corvettes!!
The Tesla 3 and Leaf are the only EVs that sell in respectable numbers.
Sigh, we are going to have to bail out GM again.
I’m pretty sure GM prefers to sell as few Bolts as possible given they are probably still losing money on each one.
The whole idea of using Cadillac or Buick as their Electric oriented Divisions is to increase their ATP to where they at least break even short term.
Tesla is the model for electrics, not Nissan or Chevrolet. $50k ATP and they could break even.
akear
Nissan is about to go bankrupt. They can’t afford to sell a money losing EV.
you have to try very hard to NOT sell a CUV in this market. The paleolithic Dodge Journey still sells about 80k a year.
smartasscli
WRONG!
At Cadillac the XT4, XT5, XT6 and Escalade are all selling well.
thank you John McLaughlin.
JimZ
I think you spent too many Saturday evenings watching PBS.
WRONG!
It was Saturday Night Live.
https://tinyurl.com/wgoflw2
(Maybe this should be my next avatar?)
WRONG! NEXT ISSUE!
Jack Ger-MON-do!
If Cadillac can become the Cadillac of EVs, they might well re-establish the mojo they had long ago.
To me, they have to out-Tesla Tesla. Morphing one of their coveted recent concept vehicles into a production EV could make it possible.
It has been a really long time since Cadillac meant anything good. I am of the Cimarron generation so to me, the Cadillac of EV’s may as well be a Leaf with leather seats and OnStar. Even that was a long time ago.
I suspect that the traditional EV, especially Tesla buyer sees no brand equity in Cadillac.
The one thing they, and Lincoln could do is build an EV with those attributes (quiet ride, effortless torque, etc). But it will take generations of those cars to turn the marques image around.
isn’t it funny how a lot of (non-automotive) things are still called “The Cadillac of x” even though Cadillac hasn’t been the Cadillac of Cadillacs for decades?
It’s like saying “Military Grade” People say “Oh, that means tough”. No, it means assembled by the lowest bidder as cheaply as possible, marked up by an exponential amount and abused by generations of Soldiers before you ever use it to the point it maybe sort of works.
Into the decade ICE…out battery. Reminds me of corporate handing out the book “Who Moved my Cheese” Ten years to mange decline of a brand.
Source?
GM – Dear, Dealers you will be receiving a whole new generation of EV’s in the coming years.
Cadillac Dealer – Oh boy, just what we need is another slow selling EV like the ELR. We only sold 1500 them nationally. Hmmm, I wonder if it the time to make the switch to Lexus.
Not sure on the market potential, but anything that hastens the death of the current HT2000 is good.
Current market share for EVs(hybrids, PHEVs and all BEVs) is 1.8%! Take away all government purchased EVs and it falls to just 1.1%!
This is the reason bankruptcy is almost inevitable. They are better off selling Impalas and Lacrosse’s. GM with its EVs is sitting on one of the biggest bombs ever.
Super…..
BEV are 1.8%
Tesla makes up 78% of all BEV.
There are 33 BEV models for sale now.
Do the MATH.
redapple
33 plug-in vehicles on the market (BEV- PHEVs)
1. How many can you name
2. How many are sold outside California
What will the average Cadihack “supporter” do without a V-8 and rear wheel drive? These days these fools clamor for unremarkable dinosaur technology. I doubt the average Cadihack buyer could spell “EV”.
Oh, so *those people* are foolish and irrational, but you and *your people* are always right.
You sound like Evil Spock.
Cprescott
You misunderstood. When a Cadillac fan says F.U. they are not trying to spell EV.
Source?
Their first EV should have been the Elmiraj with about 1250hp. THAT would get people to notice, but no, they’ll come out with some forgettable CUV that won’t sell.
“We enter this decade as an internal combustion engine brand. We want to position ourselves to exit as a battery-electric brand, so we have to manage both at the same time.”
I suppose the corded-electric vehicle is never going to achieve widespread adoption.
The fundamental question remains, whether an EV or an ICE:
Why buy a Cadillac?
Being blunt, a lot of the reason people buy particular luxury cars is the impression buyers think they exude.
I can point out the perceived market differentiators for most major brands in the luxury car field:
Lexus denotes quiet quality
Mercedes means you’re successful
BMW and Audi say you’re a bit sporty
Jaguar and Rover suggest you’re old-school
Lincoln (now) hints at conservative minded success
Porsche says you’re more than a little successful
But what does Cadillac say about you?
And… how will going to EV’s change that perception?
Exactly my view from the Expensive Three Counties around NYC…..the ONLY Cadillac I see is the Escalade, and then, only the most recent model. Once the lease is up, away it goes. Other Cadillacs ? Next to zero. I may have seen a CT6 in the wild last month. Meanwhile, Audi (cool kids drive Audi) is every fourth car, Benz is all over, BMW is boring there are so many, and if you want to beat parking lot parity, Maserati, or in some areas, Bentley, will be the only way.
Cadillac has a 3 year lease cohort, which is dying off, mostly older guys who came up when Cadillac was indeed the “Cadillac of cars”. My 86 yo FIL loves his XTS, but he is the typical owner of the new ones.
My CTS-V says I don’t give a flying f**k what you think about my automotive choices. ;)
they will be no me successful than the last 12 intros.
GM Marketing sucks.
BK2025.
Cadillac could always strike a deal with Black & Decker and make a premium brand of electric lawnmowers which they could call Cadicut.