Cadillac goes electric! Every new model to be battery powered
The Cadillac Lyriq marks a new era for the brand, with company confirming no new petrol-powered models as it takes aim at Tesla.
Iconic US luxury brand Cadillac – which cemented its reputation with gas-guzzlers adorned with oversized bodywork and an excess of chrome in the 1960s – is about to become a pure electric brand to take on upstart Tesla.
In a shock announcement overnight, General Motors executives said Cadillac would phase out petrol-powered vehicles by 2030.
Global Vice President of Cadillac Rory Harvey said from today onwards, the brand would only be unveiling battery-powered models.
The comments came during the virtual launch of the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq SUV – the brand's first all-electric vehicle, offering 255kW, 440Nm, and a range of more than 483km from a single charge.
"We will be leaving this decade as an [electric vehicle] brand, as things stand today," Mr Harvey said during the event.
"Which means we will not be selling [internal combustion engine] vehicles by 2030."
While Cadillac will be making the transition to all-electric powertrains by the end of the decade, its parent company General Motors says it will be 2035 before the majority of its line-up is battery-powered.
In late January 2021, GM announced its plans to electrify its entire 'light-duty' range, but ruled out its 'heavy-duty' models. These include some Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pick-ups, which made up 9.1 per cent of the company's total vehicle sales in 2020.
Harvey's comments mean Cadillac's current model range will be the last to be powered by conventional internal-combustion engines.
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