Cadillac president Steve Carlisle spoke about the premium brand’s future this week, indicating that most, if not all, Cadillac models would be EVs by 2030. Carlisle talked Caddy’s future in an interview with Reuters, in which he laid out the brand’s battery-powered intentions for the next decade or so.
During the interview, Carlisle also acknowledged that Cadillac was gearing up sell a big all-electric SUV similar to the Cadillac Escalade. The brand previously unveiled an unnamed all-electric SUV concept earlier in the year. According to unnamed sources cited by Reuters, the large, unnamed electric SUV will hit production in late 2023 at the GM Detroit-Hamtramck plant. Reuters also indicated that a new compact electric SUV was headed to China in 2022, followed by a U.S.-spec version later in 2023.
As we covered yesterday, Carlisle also said that Cadillac would switch up its naming conventions, going from the current alphanumeric naming convention (for example, the Cadillac CT6) to a more traditional naming convention (for example, the Cadillac Escalade).
With regard to EVs, the Cadillac president said that driving range and charge times were key challenges in the segment, and that while 300 miles was the baseline needed to be competitive, “you need to be at 400 miles.” He also said that charge times should be measured in just a matter of minutes, and that the GM Super Cruise technology would play a major role in future Cadillac model features.
According to the recent interview with Reuters, Carlisle said that Cadillac will move forward with one more round of refreshes for its current gas-powered models, then launch a brand focus on EVs. However, Carlisle also indicated that Cadillac could continue to sell gas-powered vehicles alongside its electric vehicles if there is sufficient demand.
“None of us knows how quickly the transition will take place,” Carlisle said.
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Source: Reuters
Comments
This will be a poor decision. I think this could hurt them. I will drive ICE until I die. Nothing better than the rumble of a V8 and the feeling as it shifts through the gears.
Ok boomer
Stay condescending, Cross. That ought to win people over to your clearly non-majority automotive worldview, as is evident through your consistently being down-voted through the freaking floor on every comment you make.
For what it’s worth, I’m 25 and see Dan’s point entirely. I won’t commit to never driving an EV in my lifetime (I may be forced, who knows), but I love the throaty rumble of a V8 engine more than any sound in the world.
DC -> stfu… idiot millenial… no, your poop isnt art, like your mommy told you… morons…
I am 28 lol
I wouldn’t worry about this Dan. If there is one thing that is certain, it is that nothing is ever certain with Cadillac. In six months, they’ll be new people in place and a new direction for the brand. If by some miracle, Cadillac were to stay on a course long enough to even execute this, they’ll likely find the market for E-Cads to be insufficient to sustain the wholesale transformation they are currently planning.
Tesla has a unique image and appeals to a very specific demographic. GM appears to think that if they copy what Elon is doing, it’ll finally be the magic formula to turn Cadillac around. That thinking is, in my opinion, wrong. After all, how successful was the ELR? Yet they are going to go all-in on it? Cadillac will likely be no more successful as a Tesla clone than they’ve been in their 40 year pursuit of becoming BMW. That’s not to say that there isn’t a good reason for Cadillac/GM to pursue electric vehicles but I think the approach being taken by Mercedes-Benz is far wiser. Their ESQ will be available in a few months and represents a more cautious, evolutionary approach. I would suggest Cadillac add electric models to their product portfolio rather than embarking on a total transformative approach on a per-ordained timeline. But those products should be inbued with Cadillac DNA first and foremost and merely be electrically propelled.
If the sad saga of the CT6 has taught us anything, it is that there is always a U-Turn on a the horizon for Cadillac though so I wouldn’t be fretting Cadillac’s announced all-electric future.
@Ci2Eye Its funny how you think you know how a business runs but yet you know nothing. Stop acting like you know what gm is doing, because to be honest you dont and neither do I. But I know gm can accomplish the things they say.
Matt,
When has the Cadillac last accomplished the things they say ?
You do relies what you are saying here right ?
Cadillac has NOT done what they have said for at least 20 years now !
The Escalade is the ONLY consistent product Cadillac has produced in almost 40 years now, and that’s just because it is a Chevy Suburban, the longest running GM vehicle ever produced, and has nothing to do with the Cadillac line other than a badge.
You are as obsolete as the steam engine cars of the 19th century! I now drive a hybrid and I get up to 54 MPG yet with electric power I can out accelerate other gas cars and make no noise doing it.
A total electric car will be the ultimate sports car. Just search and watch all the Tesla Model S videos where it beats ALL the other common sports cars easily and burn no gas or emit any emissions . BTW, I bet you have gasoline powered appliance and computers in your home!
“BTW, I bet you have gasoline powered appliance and computers in your home!”
The difference here is that not all of us think of our cars the same way we think of our dishwashers, Raymond.
How do you think of your cars 8.1 ?
It is hard for me to keep comments short so what is your perfect Cadillac vehicle ?
Mine is the Escala, the size of the CT5, with a 2.7T-10 speed ! For a sedan.
And a SUV, that looks like the XT6, the size of a XT4, with the same thing, a 2.7T-10 speed.
If both of those vehicles were EV’s in the future, we would be Cadillac buyers still, after owning 6.
But I to am a ICE owner, but just do to SD where I live will be one of the last states to implement change, so unless it is just a commuter vehicle and we home charge, an EV just will not work YET.
What I can’t get over here and in the world, is, you can not stop change. it seems every generation tries yet we have all of the conveniences of 2019, and are not still like Cuba, in the 50s.
Just more opinion.
My perfect Cadillac vehicle would a sedan almost the size of a ‘71 GTO with a mid engine V8, dual clutch trans and a voltec front transaxle. (for AWD)
Powerful, fast and roomy with eco potential at low speeds.
Will ,
So the size we agree on, as the CT5 is about the same as a 71 GTO.
A mid engine sedan ? Not sure what that would be like if the size of that 71 GTO the interior would be awful small to get a 4 door and a mid engine.
But I’m ok with the dual clutch V8 AWD.
The C8 should have stayed a Cadillac in the first place to boost the brand as a GM upgrade to the Average GM blah v” Good Enough ” , then when they switch it to EV in two years it would be right where it belongs in the Cadillac lineup.
So again Steve explain this !!
Carlisle also acknowledged that Cadillac was gearing up sell a big all-electric SUV similar to the Cadillac Escalade. The brand previously unveiled an unnamed all-electric SUV concept earlier in the year.
Reuters also indicated that a new compact electric SUV was headed to China in 2022, followed by a U.S.-spec version later in 2023.
So once again Cadillac will offer a large SUV similar to the Escalade, and a sub compact SUV !!
I thought we just went over how the MAJORITY was MID-SIZED to Sub-compact !
So once again Cadillac will NOT offer what the MAJORTY wants
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FROM THEIR OWN DATA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But at least he put the nail in the coffin as to the fate of the average GM blah ” Good Enough ” ICE Cadillacs.
Your Cadillac choice going forward are as followes:
—A great Chevy Suburban, and I love everything about the new Escalade, other than it is bigger than we want, and bigger than what the MAJORITY wants !
—An average GM blah ” Good Enough ” mid-sized SUV, that are all GREAT GM vehicles, just POOR Cadillac vehicles. In the very segment that IS THE MAJORITY of owners in the USA !!!!
—Two sedans, with questionable looks inside and out, and HORRIBLE standard power ( CT5 with a 2.0T-10 speed, CT4 with 2.0T-8 speed GM junk )
So in other words, Cadillac going forward, isn’t much different than the Cadillac of today:
We get different names AGAIN !
We get two vehicles that are NOT IN THE MAJORITY of what is wanted or sold in the USA !!!
My opinion,
One mid-sized SUV with RWD/AWD called X with the new Escalade interior, and an exterior like the EV – SUV – concept shown !
One mid-sized sedan with RWD/AWD called X with the new escalade interior, and the exterior of the Escala – concept !
Start there, and if Cadillac would have started there in 2016, we would not even be talking of the Cadillac demise !
At least I don’t have to worry any longer about buying a Cadillac until at least 2028, so Cadillac don’t figure this 6 time 51 year old Cadillac owner into your payback scenario. And if you would have listened to your customers and potential customers you would have flows of cash to pay to stockholders.
In my opinion !
Seriously NOT ONE MID-SIZED SUV. The vehicle the MAJORITY wants according to your OWN DATA !
The first cadillac model to hit the market will be an all electric Escalade in 2022, sold as a 23 MY vehicle.
Yes we will see more EV but Gas will still be in play till 2050 for most brands. As long as oil is cheap and batteries expensive things will change slowly. Now if oil goes up or we finally get that cheaper better battery that dynamic could change.
No one knows for sure yet.
Yes Gas will still be in play but as Steve said here, the Cadillac GAS vehicles will never change again !
So if you do not like the current Cadillac offering, you will never like a Cadillac GAS vehicle again !
That is what he just said, is it not ?
He is basically confirming that Cadillac is focusing on the Chinese market and that the North American market is an afterthought.
No, your reasoning is inverted. It is the U.S. market that is not interested in electric luxury cars. Yet the imports are making them and the Chinese want to buy them. So Cadillac will make more money selling overseas.
Cadillac used to be the a class 1 luxury vehicle compared to the others. They really need to stay the course there well always be room for a gas or diesel model to go along with the EV. I do agree with going back to names.
I love Cadillacs. I’m 26 and I drive an Escalade, my 3rd Cadillac. If they go all electric I will find another brand. I had an electric car before, the ELR. But I liked that it was a plug in hybrid with a gasoline option. I would never buy something 100% electric.
Finally a great decision for Cadillac by the General.
Cadillac as I have been saying here for years has one last shot at obtaining Tier One Luxury status. That is with their upcoming pure EV’s. If done correctly, Cadillac can become second to Tesla in Luxury buyers Minds. That would be so huge. Remember that in China they Love Tesla a lot but they also love Cadillac and the customers tend to be a much younger Demographic over there then in the States. My only issue is that their first EV Model is still like two years away. The German Big Three will have multiple offerings on the Market by then so that means Cadillac needs to blow them away and have the EV’s come every six months.
Bahahahahahaha
Cadillac can’t commit to a 5-year plan even if it fate rested upon it, you expect me to believe they do a 10-year one? Surely you can’t be serious.
Enthusiasts at Cadillac and GM have clearly left the room. So many product up in the air doesn’t happen with BMW/MB/Lexus etc. I actually saw an Infiniti Q50 commercial marketing a non ev sedan how refreshing. I haven seen a non crossover commercial from Cadillac in years.
Everyone here can laugh all they want but please follow the News around the World.
Europe and specifically China will be pure EV’s soon and GM will not spend money on R&D for Cadillac to have both ICE and EV vehicles. They are a Luxury Brand and most of their sales are in China so I hate if you have been misinformed about all this but Cadillac will be PURE EV’s by 2030 or so. They have no choice.
The only thing that might happen here in the States is one of two things or maybe even both. All the current “new” ICE vehicles that Cadillac has introduced recently keep getting updates if some Customer will refuse to convert to Cadillac EV’s and Probably the Slade will have ICE option. But if the first part of this is true, what “True” Luxury customer in 10 years time will be willing to shell out Luxury prices for 10 year old platforms and Technologies? I will be willing to bet that it will not be much. Our Government is so behind Europe and China that our Big Three our getting twisted like a Pretzel. They desperately want to keep selling ICE Full Size Trucks and SUV’s but the rest of the World is passing us by at an accelerated clip and I fear that one might be left behind. Our Government needs to stop getting Big Oil handouts (Both Sides) and start passing Regulations that will help our Auto Makers well into the Future just like Europe and China are doing so right now.
I understand that some (which most likely have never driven a Tesla) do not like EV’s but we will have no choice.
I wasn’t an EV fan until I drove a friends Model S and was Blown away but it didn’t convert me as I could not afford one. Then another Friend of mine got a Model 3 and was even more Blown away. When my lease is up I will most likely get a Model # Tesla unless something better pops up in the meantime. I am not stating that right now EV’s are for everyone as the infrastructure is not there yet but for most, it is the ideal Transportation. I am a huge Gear-head. I grew up with Ferrari, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, and Vette posters and every Car Magazine or online Subscription I could get my hands on. But times change and I am ok with it. I just do not want any Americans to lose their great Automotive jobs in the Future due to European and Chinese Companies eating our Lunch.
I am Glad to hear GM is going in the proper direction with Cadillac. If done correctly, Future Cadillac fans might consider them truly Technological leading Luxury Auto Brand like Tesla is today.
This is for China.
Just wait for the names……
Fleetwood Ohlm.
Coupe De Amp
Voltorodo
Yeah I cringe at the thought.
If the names are as good as the last Cadillac mid-sized SUVs.
But I will give them a chance before I am a hater !
Just like I always wait and see before I judge.
One thing I know for sure is, a name is subjective, opinion .
Poor performance in relation to the competition is not subjective, it is a real feeling.
I am ready to buy Super Cruise in a XT6. When will that be available?
Lets see, some current models will get a mid cycle refresh, so if XT6 released in 2019 and full EV by 2030, so my bet 2023.
Gar
Cadillac used to be the a class 1 luxury vehicle compared to the others. They really need to stay the course there well always be room for a gas or diesel model to go along with the EV. I do agree with going back to names.
gm is smart. they arent rushing to market a bunch of half baked EVs with short range like the europeans. theyll wait till the time is right and the tech is there, then drop some models that are game changers. itll be an electric silverado/tahoe/camaro and i for one will gladly be patient and wait a few years for those vehicles, then i will happily buy one.
Here is a novel concept albeit radical: How about offering the customer WHAT THEY WANT?
In the late 1970s, GM thought the answer to fuel economy was diesels. How did that turn out?
In the 1980s, GM thought the answer to fuel economy woes was an all front-wheel-drive lineup and “full size” and luxury cars that were the size of most compacts.
Unfortunately, when you are the fifth largest automaker globally instead of the first, the days of dictating what the customer will buy are over. GM is now playing catchup and has to offer some real home-run vehicles to recapture their leadership.
How about this? Design a platform that can accommodate batteries, hybrids, gasoline or diesel powertrains and allow the customer to choose what they want?