Although it was hinted weeks ago that the brand could offer ICE models in the country, General Motors has just made it clear that Cadillac‘s lineup in Australia and Zealand will consist exclusively of electric vehicles.
During the first-ever Cadillac Experience Center Sydney announcement as its first permanent location and local point of sale, the automaker’s Australian subsidiary clarified that the luxury brand is committed to an exclusive line of electric vehicles in that country. In this regard, GM’s top representative in Australia and New Zealand told CarSales that the company has no plans to introduce any ICE Cadillac vehicles in the region.
“One hundred per cent EV is our plan right now. We think it’s the right play for the market right now,” said Managing Director of GM Australia and New Zealand, Jess Bala. “We’re really positioned as a luxury brand and we know that those customers are definitely still there,” she added.
There are essentially two key strategic reasons why Cadillac entered and plans to expand into Australia as an EV-only brand. The first reason is that the luxury spectrum unequivocally represents the core category and largest growth area for zero-emission vehicles globally, maintaining strong demand that contrasts with the slowdown in EVs in mainstream segments.
Secondly, there is the high flexibility and convenience that GM’s Ultium architecture provides to generate right-hand-drive vehicles suitable for the Australian market directly from the factory. In addition to facilitating the homologation of its vehicles and streamlining the supply process, the technical feasibility of the electric platform was the key to Cadillac being able to successfully undertake its return journey to Australia and New Zealand with RHD models.
None of Cadillac’s current ICE vehicles have the capability to roll right-hand drive out of the factory, as they would require an additional conversion process like the one GMSV does in Dandenong, Victoria for the Chevy Silverado. “The beauty of bringing the EVs and the Ultium platform is the fact we’ve got right-hand drive built on the factory straight out of the plant. This is something not available with any of the brand’s ICE vehicles,” Bala finished.
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Comments
Poor Aussies.
Ooo, bad move, bad move!…
For once there is a good reason for GM to deliver only one type of RHD vehicle, seeing with the ULTIUMs there is nothing in the way making the RHD change extra complicated…
So, you would think they would leverage that investment in RHD from the factory (cheapest way to manufacture them), for the rather large UK market.
It is my understanding that this will be the case with all of GM’s electric cars going forward.
Also allows GM to enter any market and not have to worry about investing heavily in engine tech each time to meet emissions requirements. A massive deterrent for GM in the past.
People don’t want to hear that though.
That’s dumb.
Goodbye, Caddy. Don’t you read? Buying EVs is a thing of the past. Mary, how stupid can you be?? You must be paid by other car companies to kill GM. Or you are just toooooooo woke….. or asleep (at the wheel)…
Managing Director of GM Australia and New Zealand, Jess Bala. Different chick that has it All Figured Out same dumb as Mary………….
They might sell 10.
The GM manager is misleading people here by insinuating that EVs are easier than ICEs to build in RH drive on the regular production line. I worked 30 years in assembly manufacturing engineering at GM and 6 years at Toyota. The only reason GM rarely built RH drive down the same LH drive lines is because they didn’t want to. There were always excuses. I was amazed at the flexibility in most Toyota plants to build both on the same line. Good product design and good assembly layout is all that is required. In fact Bowling Green is now building RH on the same line as LH in regular production.
It’s poor planning to use expensive “upfitters” to tear apart and retrofit a completed vehicle for RH drive.
Let me be the first, if no one else has, to offer my condolences to those in Australia and New Zealand.