When it comes to the design of a particular vehicle, designers and engineers must strike a balance of style and efficiently in order to offer prospective buyers a vehicle that’s both aesthetically pleasing and competitively efficient. While some all-electric vehicles may lean towards the latter so as to maximize range figures, GM Design Boss Michael Simcoe claims that not all EVs have to be unattractive to be efficient.
According to a report from CarsGuide, Simcoe rejected the idea that all-electric vehicles must be ugly to be efficient, pointing to the Cadillac Celestiq, Lyriq and Optiq as examples.
“Aerodynamics is a very well understood black science,” GM Global Design Vice President Michael Simcoe remarked in an interview. “We have a lot of people who are very intelligent in that space so we know what we have to do to make a vehicle perform in a fashion. Anyone who tells you that to do an efficient vehicle, you have to do a lozenge with wheels is wrong. You can make very efficient vehicles that have style as well.”
Case in point, the Tesla Model Y is rated at 329 miles on a full charge from its 75 kWh battery pack. Meanwhile, the Cadillac Optiq utilizes a larger battery at 85 kWh, yet gets an estimated driving range of 300 miles from a full charge. While the Tesla may be better on paper, the Caddy arguably offers more style.
“If you’ve got the speed to react quickly to a trend and you’re seeing something on the other side of town that’s working, and people are buying and you’ve got the speed to get there before the market dries up, then you’re dealing with commodities rather than a real focus on your brand and the value you have in the design itself,” Simcoe continued. “If we all did that you could forget the brand thing because everybody would be buying the same interior and the same exterior. And there is a bit of that in the market right now, globally.”
In regard to Chinese electric vehicles mimicking Tesla design cues, Simcoe commented, “That’s more about commoditization of design and a power to see something that works in the showroom, with customers, and a whole industry that has the speed to – within a couple of years – move in that direction. And then two years later there’s somewhere else, and then somewhere else. But that’s commoditization of vehicles, it’s not necessarily aerodynamics that are doing that.”
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Comments
I’m so glad these people get paid so much to give us stupid comments like this. We can all go back over the last century and point out beautiful cars that were efficient (in their own ways). It is no different with EV’s. Here’s a quote from the article “pointing to the Cadillac Celestiq, Lyriq and Optiq as examples”. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the Celestiq is certainly polarizing. The Lyriq and Optiq are nice looking (especially the Optiq) if you want an SUV. I find it difficult to see much beauty in rolling boxes and would love to see GM bring out a very attractive EV sedan that doesn’t look stupid.
I’ve been saying this for a while now. Not everyone want to drive and EV that screams I’m an EV!!!! I think the industry would win more converts to EV if they offered them to look exactly like the ICE counterpart. I personally think the Malibu is a very attractive sedan and would love to buy one in EV or PHEV form. I certainly don’t feel that I’m in the minority there.
He’s right. Cadillac has the most beautiful EVs on the market (Lyriq, Optiq) with two more beautiful designs on the road by next year.
Irony much? Cadillac EVs are not beautiful. Barely average with a dash of awkward. This is how GM styles vehicles.
Very well said!
No one can accuse me of being a Tesla fan by any means, but they sure look better than those Cadillac monstrosities. Is that a baleen in front?
GM needs to stop fussing over EVs and nothing else.
They’re all “cartoonish” / “super-hero” looking to appeal to the Chinese tastes.
Lacking grace and elegance.
Difficult to look at and, IMHO, won’t age well.
Optiq is okay, but none of the three will go down in history as beautiful cars – even for their era.
It goes back to the old cadillac commercial… when you turn your car on, does it return the favor? The EVs aren’t doing that for me.
Bob, I want to agree with you. However, if you haven’t driven an EV for more than just a short test drive, you really need to. There’s a ton to like about them and how they drive. But for looks, I totally agree with you and I love the commercial you quoted. Cadillac must get back to giving us vehicles (cars) that people lust after and dream about having.
Although I like the CT4/5, they are just nice cars sold by Cadillac. But nothing about them is very special and they lack names. The last true Cadillac (of all them) was the CT6 that needed was a real name. The rest are just SUV/CUV’s that make me see zero Cadillac.
I mean, GM’s been proving that ugly cars you build don’t have to be EVs for a long time. I’ll see myself out…
Celestiq? Not ugly? I mean he’s right, it didn’t have to be. But there it is.
Beauty is related to the beholder. Why do U.S. buyers favor Japanese and Korean cars? Because they are CHEAPER! So most buyers prefer cheaper and uglier cars. Only the brilliant buy Cadillacs.
Seems that there are few brilliant buyers here.
EV owners love displaying their virtue signalling so yes, EV designs must be polarizing.
I find my Lyriq AWD to be comfortable, quiet, luxurious , powerful and very fun to drive. So easy to charge in my garage and for road trips there are plenty of chargers when needed.
How does he explain the Celestiq? That has a butt and profile only an ugly mother could love.
A better question to ask is do EVs need to have so many energy consuming screens (even as exterior rearview mirrors like some cars are starting to have) for them to be efficient?
What corporate speak and duh comments. Does this genius not look at all the cars on the road. Electric cars today look better than ICE models. Part of trying to market them. Still won’t by a total EV. Hybrid yes but not a total EV. If this guy doesn’t have something more insightful to say he should keep quiet instead of sounding like a dull normal.
Simcoe says EVs don’t have to be ugly.
Then what explains the $300K hatchback Celestique?