Genesis expects to unveil its first all-electric car by 2021. As Hyundai’s luxury-focused sub-brand, Genesis is a direct competitor for Cadillac, doubly so now that both Genesis and Cadillac are racing towards bringing premium EV offerings to market.
As confirmed by Genesis’ global executive vice president, Manfred Fitzgerald, in an interview with the Australian publication Drive, Genesis is currently hammering out a new electric vehicle architecture that will eventually lead to the creation of a new battery-powered SUV and sedan. Of the two, the sedan will most likely arrive first.
The 2018 Genesis Essentia Concept
It’s interesting that Genesis would offer a new electric sedan ahead of an SUV, given the current market predilections for the SUV body style. Indeed, the vast majority of EV concepts we’ve seen over the years have been crossovers and SUVs.
That said, Genesis has always done things a bit differently, as evidenced by the numerous concept vehicles the brand has debuted over the years. One good example of this comes from the 2018 New York Auto Show, when Genesis introduced the Essentia, a compact high-performance coupe with butterfly doors and unique styling.
2020 Genesis G90
However, Genesis isn’t stopping there. The brand has also expressed interest in exploring hydrogen fuel-cell technology.
“We are absolutely committed to alternative propulsion,” Fitzgerald said during his interview with Drive. “I think you will see that Genesis will have every alternative covered in a relatively short space of time.”
Meanwhile, Cadillac is still working towards becoming GM’s primary electric brand. The last big development arrived with the debut of the 2020 Cadillac XT6 in January, when Cadillac announced it was working on a new all-electric crossover.
Cadillac EV crossover concept
“Cadillac’s EV will hit the heart of the crossover market and meet the needs of customers around the world,” said Cadillac President Steve Carlisle. “It will represent the height of luxury and innovation while positioning Cadillac as the pinnacle of mobility.”
GM’s plans include a new EV platform that’s adaptable to a variety of drivetrain layouts, as previewed by an unnamed EV crossover concept.
Cadillac EV crossover Concept
However, beyond the underlying platform, battery technology and electric motors, a variety of other elements will factor into the success of Cadillac’s transformation. For example, charging systems and autonomous driving tech will also play a major role here.
Indeed, things are starting to come to a boil. Earlier this year, at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, GM President Mark Reuss told Reuters that GM doesn’t “have any chances left with taking Cadillac to a really new place,” with regard to the brand’s new role as an EV company. “This is pretty much it.”
No doubt about it, the race is on. The question is: where will Cadillac finish?
To stay up on the latest developments, subscribe to GM Authority for more Cadillac news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Source: Drive
Comments
…
I can honestly say I know absolutely nothing about the Genesis EV but I bet that yes it will beat the Cadillac to Market. I do not believe that GM is serious about their EV’s. GM as a whole has one pure EV in the United States.
This is not a race to be first to the market, it is a race for who ever gets it right for the market first.
C8.R,
Is that what the Bolt is to you, right for the market. With its ” new grill ” that will make it sell like a Tesla.
Its a box on wheels, no style or design at all.
You never did answer the question of how many sedans are sold in the US by Tesla, Honda, Toyota, VW, and Kia ?
Will you name, out of the last 5 ” new ” GM vehicles released, what they have gotten right for the market ?
Less the dash or interior, maybe the new truck ?
But that’s less the interior, so not even that was right for the market.
I guess the ” new ” Blazer, maybe, I guess it sells.
O well still selling Cadillacs in China, and still making money so they must be on the right to market track.
Genesis would be wise to let Cadillac arrive 1st because once the G arrives everyone will forget about Cadillac.
The last big development arrived with the debut of the 2020 Cadillac XT6 in January, – so this is considered a big development? There is zero special to this car and Motor Trend just said “not even close”, and “don’t make a mistake by choosing the XT6”…. after waiting over a decade for an incredibly important vehicle for the segment GM gives us this?
So we can expect an EV with a crappy “jet black” interior, suspect quality, (built by angry UAW rats), nothing special styling, ehhh warranty, and bush league marketing…
Why don’t you go back to FordAuthority?
Tell me where I’m wrong… happy to agree if you can?
@Xjug here let me do the honor. Cadillac only made a mistake on the xt6 because it was rushed into market, so late and they needed a competitor. If you look at the car you know what I mean, it isnt competitive enough to compete with other car makers three row suv at all. But nonetheless cadillac has done excellent with the interiors of their new sedans the ct5 and ct4. Including the new escalade that will be coming out. So if i were you I would hold out on judging what their ev could be, cause just like the c8 it could be a game changer especially since now that they have Steve Carlisle.
“GM President Mark Reuss told Reuters that GM doesn’t “have any chances left with taking Cadillac to a really new place,” with regard to the brand’s new role as an EV company. “This is pretty much it.””
I’m the world’s biggest Caddy fan but with leadership making comments like this, why have hope for them???
It’s absolutely DISGUSTING how Cadillac is ran and sometimes I wish they let them go with Oldsmobile/Pontiac/Saab/Hummer/Saturn so at least they died with dignity.
And to answer the question: YES. Genesis will be first to the market with a luxury BEV. We have no prototypes or even concepts to look at from Cadillac other than that intern rendering they threw together to release with the XT6.
I miss JdN. **sigh**
I agree with your M/R comments…. simply make fantastic, “gotta have!”, luxury vehicles and get out of the way…. they’re not doing that and…
JDN had a plan to upgrade the dealers, reduce the # of dealers, ensure they’re Located where the money is and drastically overhaul Customer Service (it currently stinks).
All that appears to have been abandoned w his departure. That said the alpha-numeric naming structure totally SUCKS!
Tesla has for the most part got it right. When the model Y hits the market, they will sell all they can make. GM needs to not only get that crossover electric vehicle out, they need a charging solution that matches Tesla’s. Most of their charging station already reside in nice location that you wouldn’t mind spending an hour at while you wait.
The truth is no company has gotten the EV right. If you have to interrupt your trip for 60 minutes to recharge I am not interested. However if my life was a little shuttle around the neighborhood then EV would be OK. Just need to get the idea of interchangeability of power supplies and quick change robots. Think flash light no waiting!
The logistics of swapping out battery packs makes that idea pretty much unworkable.
The fact that electric vehicles are largely differentiated by their battery packs makes the idea impossible.
If you do a trip that is 300 Miles plus do you not stop to get food or use the bathroom?
Tesla V3 Super Chargers will charge from 10% to 80% in 20 minutes. I bet it’ll take you longer to use the Bathroom and to eat. EV’s only need Super Chargers if you are on a Road Trip or you just need a little more Energy before you get home to plug in which might take you what maybe 5 minutes to do so?
Other than that, you charge in your Garage.
Now going into the Future, Super Chargers will need to be Super Fast. They actually have the Tech to do so right now but the Battery Tech in the Cars as of right now cannot handle that type of Speed Charging, Once that happens and it will, EV’s are full blown taking over.
There are already Gas Stations around the World converting to EV Charging Stations. Makes much more sense to sell electricity than wait for Semi Truck Drivers to bring you liquid Gasoline every so often. Gas Stations in the States make money from us walking in and over paying for Snacks and or other items they sell. We here in the States are just so Dependent on Oil (since Government is paid by Big Oil, Both Sides) that we might be left behind in the Future. I think we won’t but we gotta get going and going fast.
You confirmed what I said. The Batteries are not yet their. The ifrastructure is not convienced yet either While the electric tells you when you nedd a charge you almost always must go some pretty long distance away from your route to use a supercharger and if the people are doing what you say restroom etc. then not enough chargers and the time to move away from the charger is a matter of concern. I would not recommend taking a nice back roads trip from Knoxville to say Indianapolis sight seeing because you may have issues finding the infrastructure. As I said before the Electric is not yet good for us who use our cars for long drives on non-interstate roads. Short stints about town… ok… Charge at home reduce the CO2 locally. However that energy comes from the same source and is just distributed differently. We need to look more closely at the battery technology. There is quite a bit of research looking at a Magnesium system that may be more dense than the current Li system. It will all be good once it is perfected but now???
Typical GM. Great looking concepts and sad production vehicles that arrive years after the concepts.
This is so true! I just went to see the GM concept cars at the audrain museum in Rhode Island. Sitting in the corner was the EV1. We know what happened to it. GM discontinues the volt…. I can’t buy a volt because I need AWD. Who makes an AWD electric, Toyota! If GM is going to do it with A Cadillac SUV, do it and do it right! The car lovers like myself who have owned GM all their life are the best fans and critics because we want GM to succeed, but it looks like the “gasoline in the veins” or should I say the “electric in the veins” today is gone!
Will Genesis Beat The Cadillac EV To Market? Yes.
Will Ford beat Genesis and Cadillac to Market? Yes!
Is Ford even in the same market as Genesis and Cadillac? No!
From what I read, Genesis doesn’t sell a lot of vehicles. The 3 sedans they have look good, but people don’t buy them. With so little interest in the current Genesis line up, how is a luxury EV going to sell?
It would seem that Cadillac has only two options: an EV equivalent for the ATS or an EV equivalent for the Escalade. Either way, the key is to make it a true replacement; not an econobox wearing a shield. That means AWD, 300+HP, 50kW+ charge rate, and 300+ miles per charge. Unfortunately, GM hasn’t shown anything to show this is on their roadmap.
There isn’t a rush with the cost of battery packs still high and facilities to build the packs themselves are still being built. Most of the manufacturers will be getting the packs from the same source. Then you have the charging structure that has to be built out as well.
The Escalade EV will do more for Cadillac than all the Genesis EV cars for Koreans.
I think the Slade EV will beat the crossover to market.
Who knows? GM has been talking a big game. But unless they are at Area 51 secretly ahead of the game, I’m a little skeptical.?
As far as both concept designs; the Caddy gets my vote. Great front end design (IMO).
The Genesis concept has some nice design work going on except, the front grille. It looks straight out of the movie cars, or the happy face phase that Mazda went through a few years back. That grille could also be compared to a fish trying to suck up a worm!
?
Cadillac needs to remember that the devil is in the details and getting it right is more important than being first as the CT6, CTS and ELR are recent failures because Cadillac failed to do what was necessary to achieve success.
Every brand will beat the cadillac ev to market.
They have nu clue what they are doing and how to run a successful car brand.
cadillac is about plastic interiors and renderings by interns.
Not about quality products you can buy worldwide.