Cadillac was supposed to reveal a new, all-electric, SUV in April. But, the global COVID-19 pandemic scrambled many automaker’s vehicle debut schedules. So, Cadillac rescheduled the launch for today. At 7 PM, the Cadillac Lyriq electric SUV broke cover.

The Ultium electric battery technology

The Cadillac Lyriq is General Motors’ first vehicle to debut using the new Ultium battery technology. The new electric battery tech uses aluminum in its composition, differing from other popular electric battery makeup. The new mix is more cost-efficient for the automaker to use. Consequently, Ultium battery technology will be used in more models in the stables of General Motors as time progresses. GMC, for example, will be using Ultium in the new Hummer models. A debut of the GMC Hummer is expected in the Fall of 2020.

The Lyriq will be one of many Cadillac models to go all-electric. Although worldwide sales of electrified vehicles are a small overall percentage, Cadillac is aiming to get ahead of European rivals by offering multiple electric models quickly. In fact, by 2030, Steve Carlisle, Senior Vice President and President of Cadillac, said he expects “to see the internal combustion fade away and the electric start to dominate. We will be in a position to be 100% electric by the latter part of the decade.”

Performance of the Lyriq all-electric SUV

The Lyriq will come with a single motor for rear-wheel drive, and dual motors for all-wheel drive. Fast charging will be available. The low center of gravity will help the car hug the road better than its internal combustion engine counterparts. Also, the SUV has a near 50/50 weight distribution which promises excellent handling as well. The range of the electric SUV was announced to be 300 miles. 

Interior of the Lyriq

Cadillac has always been known for luxury appointments. So, the lush interior was expected and has been delivered. There is also a 33-inch curved information display that provides the feedback from all the vehicle’s vital information. Also, a 19 speaker sound system is available for top-notch studio-like sound. Cadillac’s Supercruise driver assistance system is included and even has a new lane-change-on-demand function. 

Cadillac is entering an electric pool dominated by Tesla

Cadillac is not the only domestic electric car manufacturer. According to the Detroit News, “despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Tesla still was able to sell 90,650 EVs in April through June. More than 10,000 of them were the $70,000-plus Model S or Model X.” That means that the Cadillac Lyriq newcomer has a lot of ground to make up. Considering that production of the new electric Lyriq is not expected to start until 2022, that ground to be made up may grow substantially.

Cadillac realizes, however, that consumers have grown increasingly more accepting of electric vehicles. So, it does not plan to stand still with internal combustion engine vehicles. It also does not want to fall too far behind the electrification pool.

“If you go back in time, there will have been a number of sort of important chapters written in Cadillac history …  there’s no doubt this is absolutely a pivotal moment.”  Rory Harvey, Vice President of Cadillac North America Sales

A step toward a drastically different new future for Cadillac

Cadillac’s new all-electric Lyriq is a step in the right direction for the company. The manufacturer was once a dominant luxury auto brand. However, increasing competition from Japanese and Korean brands, in addition to the well established German automakers has seemingly complicated the company’s attempts to re-establish itself as a dominant luxury brand. The launch of the Lyrique is their watershed moment to put the past behind and start a drastically different new future.