The long-anticipated launch of the Cadillac Celestiq, General Motors’ ultra-luxury all-electric flagship sedan, has once again been delayed.
Originally expected to reach customers for the 2024 model year, the first Celestiq deliveries are now scheduled for mid-2025, according to a recent report from CNBC and confirmed by GM. At present, no customer units have been delivered. GM cites delays tied to software development and production ramp-up, prompting a strategic “relaunch” of the Celestiq to ensure optimal vehicle performance and quality.
“Just to be really transparent, we struggled launching our regular EVs, and so we’ve built our software capability to really execute and execute on time,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “We didn’t want to execute the car without everything being perfect on the software front.”
“Client deliveries are expected to begin by mid-2025. We look forward to sharing more info soon,” a GM spokesperson told GM Authority.
“Before delivering to clients, our team is ensuring Celestiq is held to the highest standards and perfected for the superior driving experience they deserve,” GM added. “As part of our internal process, we do not share that information externally.”
The Celestiq starts at approximately $340,000 and is set for an extremely limited production volume, with each unit built by hand at the GM Global Technical Center in Michigan. Customization is central to the model’s appeal, with customers offered an extreme level of personalization with regard to options.
In a recent episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, Vehicle Chief Engineer Tony Roma highlighted the Celestiq’s low volume status, stating production will remain limited to “hundreds, not thousands” of units. Roma’s comments essentially confirm exclusive GM Authority coverage from late 2023, in which we reported that GM would produce roughly 100 to 150 Cadillac Celestiq units annually.
As for the specs, the Celestiq rides on the GM BEV3 platform, with dual electric motors providing the motivation thanks to a 111-kWh battery pack. Maximum output is rated at 655 horsepower and 646 pound-feet of torque, which, surprisingly enough, could be considered underpowered for the segment.
Comments
And none should ever be delivered.
Perhaps the issue isn’t production as much as it is sales.
I read that the first year model is already sold out? I don’t understand the sense of this car…
Now I am wondering if this will remain as a ’25 model?
Announced on March 4, 2020 and still not available. How is such old news exciting to anyone?
I just don’t understand the sense of this car? Why would they discontinue the CT6 claiming low sales and then green light a car that is ridiculously expensive? I think the board should replace Mary before she does anymore damage to GM…
Weird they have been seen out there in many places. Really nice car.
A Cadillac does not have to make sense. Its just a really high end car for people who can afford it. Really great job. Lots of negative complainers here. So much easier for people to complain when they cant afford something.
Only a few comments thus far and one specifically that comes on here and does nothing but b**tch about anything EV and mostly anything GM.
This type of delay has become the norm in this industry. Where I work, Volvo has done this same thing many times on both ICE/PHEV and EV. As the price tag and luxury side goes up, so should the detail in getting it correct.
I’m old enough to recall when GM (most auto manufacturers) would rush a product out and push on the teams to just get it out for sale. If GM would still be doing than today and if they did it on this high priced Cadillac, then all the comments would be how GM messed up and shouldn’t have “rushed” it out.
Sometimes you just can’t please anyone. Me? I’d rather see Cadillac do this 100% the right way and have a product as close to perfect as humanly possible.
You are correct. GM should have tested the Chevrolet Vega aluminum engine and replaced it with something else before bringing the car to market.
Agree that the car is underpowered. I expected to see something in the 900 – 1,000 range. In this segment, you’ve got to keep up with the Joneses. Hopefully it will fulfill the expectations of its buyers.
The “Joneses” in this case are cars like the Rolls Royce Phantom (563hp / 664lb-ft). The segment is ultra-luxury, not performance.
All gm products should be held to a high standard before release. Not just the ultra luxury models. Do we not all deserve a drama free ownership regardless of income?
Yet another money wasting vanity project from Mary Mediocrity Barra.
Imagine Cadillac doing really great looking concepts like the Sixteen or Elmiraj and then saying “nah, we’re going to hand-build this garish hatchback instead.” Only GM.
100% agree. The Elmiraj was gorgeous…Then they decided to build this thing — after modeling like a Pontiac AZTEC.
Go figure—when it takes 6 months to build a standard non-heavy option C8, ya think they’ll be building one of these quicker? They gotta sell one first.
Still looks like the front clip of one model welded to the rear clip of another vehicle.
Good for Cadillac making sure it’s perfect before building them. A halo car can’t entice people to aspire to the brand if it’s buggy and not as promised. They’ve learned from experience with their other EVs, and the Celestiq will be a better car for that.
I’ll be really interesting to see who gets the first ones. Seems like they would want to have a variety of celebrities lined up.
Does anyone else think GM went out and finally said something about the Celestiq but then didn’t actually say anything?
For some time, it’s been obvious to all of us here that there is something going on with Celestiq that isn’t being explained. There have been numerous delays and excuses, none of which made sense so Ruess finally addresses the situation. Here’s what he says and some thoughts:
– “Just to be really transparent, we struggled launching our regular EVs, and so we’ve built our software capability to really execute and execute on time,” We already knew GM struggled to launch their “regular” EVs. Everyone knows that. The whole world knows that.
Saying that isn’t being “candid” or forthcoming about anything and saying they’ve built (past tense) their software capability to execute on time isn’t specific to Celestiq or explain at all why it has never entered production 18 months after GM (John Roth) said it did.
-“We didn’t want to execute the car without everything being perfect on the software front.” Well, what does that mean? That for less high-end cars they release them without the software being perfect. I hope that isn’t what he meant.
A GM spokesman says:
-“Client deliveries are expected to begin by mid-2025. We look forward to sharing more info soon,”. The trouble with that is GM told us production began in January of 2024 and then said it hadn’t but would begin in the fourth quarter of ’24 which didn’t happen so to now still say “deliveries are expected”, not will begin or shall begin, is not reassuring.
I still don’t know what the deal with this car is but Tony Roma said on Autoline Detroit After Hours in December of 2022 that GM would build two Celestiqs per day beginning in December of 2023. Two per day and working five days per week is 520 cars per year and he said there were many more buyers for the car than they could produce in the first 18 months. So he essentially he said they had around 800 buyers lined up. Now, over two years later with no cars built yet, Roma told Jay Leno that GM will build about 250 per year. That’s a big drop and there’s a lot that still doesn’t add up and what Ruess said did nothing to clarify and wasn’t transparent at all.