Even though the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq is the first electric vehicle for the brand, the electric SUV is already off to a good start. Mark Reuss, president of GM, announced to reporters that the Lyriq started production early at the General Motors Spring Hill, Tennessee, factory.

The Cadillac Lyriq is hitting the market sooner than anticipated

The Verge reported that GM planned for production of the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq toward the end of this year. When complaints surfaced that new electric vehicles were taking too long to get into customers’ hands, GM accelerated the production schedule.

The first version will start at $59,990. GM has not detailed the trim levels, but the Debut Edition will come with a 100.4 kWh battery pack and rear-wheel drive. Cadillac hopes to have a 300-mile range for the 2023 Lyriq and around 340 hp. This will be the brand’s first electric vehicle, but it will also be the first Cadillac to utilize the new Ultium architecture. Eventually, that will also power other EVs like the new GMC Hummer EV.

The General Motors Spring Hill factory will be home to various new EVs from the brand. The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq is the first electric vehicle produced here, but not the last.

The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq is already sold out, though

The Lyriq wasn’t supposed to be out until the end of the year at the earliest, but the automaker decided to put the factory gears into overdrive. When Cadillac released reservations for the EV back in September, it sold out in under 20 minutes. At first, the automaker kept the number of reservations released under wraps, but GM estimated that 240,000 people signed up to get in line.

“This is bringing Cadillac back to leadership, back to tier one luxury, and really getting an American luxury brand recognized and highly desirable, both from a design technology and engineering standpoint.”

Mark Reuss | President of GM

The Cadillac Lyriq Debut Edition will be able to charge at 190kW, which will allow for DC Fast-Charging compatibility. At home, with a 19.2kW charger, you can add around 52 miles of range per hour of charge. Plus, it will have GM Super Cruise technology.

Production started early but deliveries won’t happen anytime soon

Cadillac will incorporate the battery pack directly into the battery modules, The Verge says. That will allow for almost 90% less battery pack wiring compared to other GM EVs.

While those 240,000 people noted interest in purchasing the 2023 Lyriq, orders officially open on May 19. Rory Harvey, vice president for global sales at Cadillac, said that you don’t need to place a reservation on that day either. Just place an order and be one of the first. The timeline for the completion of the Lyriq is still late this year or early 2023.

Depending on how quickly the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq gets built, it could have quite a bit of competition. The Volvo XC40 Recharge and Audi E-tron are already available. Later this year, the Mercedes-Benz EQE and Rivian R1S electric SUV are due out. The race is on!