Cadillac is rolling out its $ 60,000 Lyriq EV as its gas engines are phased out

DETROIT – The all-electric Lyriq crossover marks the beginning of the end of traditional Cadillac combustion engines when the new EV arrives in dealers’ showrooms in the first half of next year.

According to Rory Harvey, Cadillac’s global vice president, the Lyriq, Cadillac’s first EV, is the first in a new line of electric cars and SUVs for the brand as it plans to make all-electric vehicles by 2030. He said there will be no new internal combustion engine Cadillac vehicles, also known as ICE, in North America after the launch of the updated Escalade SUV last year.

“We will leave this decade as an EV brand as things stand today,” he told reporters at an online media event this week for the Cadillac Lyriq 2023. “We will not be selling ICE vehicles by 2030.”

General Motors, Cadillac’s parent company, previously said that a majority, if not all, of its Cadillac cars and SUVs sold worldwide would be fully electric vehicles by the end of the decade. But Harvey’s comments take it a step further, confirming the plans, saying that Cadillac will not spend any capital on its current lineup beyond updates, otherwise known as mid-cycle refreshes, for vehicles already on sale.

Cadillac is expected to lead GM’s plans to offer exclusively electric vehicles by 2035. That includes at least 30 new electric vehicles by 2025 under a $ 27 billion investment plan in electric and autonomous vehicles during that time period.

The Lyriq, starting at $ 59,995, will be one of the first to hit the market with GM’s next generation EV platform and battery system known as Ultium. The vehicle will only come in one configuration for the first model year to simplify production.

GM released prices, photos and details of the production version of the vehicle on Wednesday, which looks a lot like a showcar version from last year. Changes, as promised by GM, largely include a few design changes, such as smaller wheels and larger side mirrors to comply with US regulations.

“The intention was to actually put the show into production,” said Andrew Smith, Cadillac Executive Director of Global Design, Color and Trim. That includes new signature lighting and an illuminated Cadillac emblem on the front.

The Lyriq’s interior, like the show car, also features a curved 33-inch diagonal advanced LED screen that covers the entire driver’s field of vision.

The rear-wheel drive vehicle is expected to have 340 horsepower and approximately 325 pound-feet of torque. The vehicle’s estimated EV range at a full charge is over 300 miles, according to GM. On a DC fast charger, GM said the vehicle can add 76 miles of range in about 10 minutes.