General Motors’ electric strategy affects every brand, so what possibility GMSV could provide a conduit for the NZ market?

Lyriq kicks off the Cadillac electric push … and other models are close behind

HOW would you feel if the new General Motors Special Vehicles’ operation, in addition to selling NZ market-prepped Chevrolet Silverado pick-ups and Corvettes, also started supplying electric Cadillacs?

Conceivably, that it could happen. Insomuch as, when asked about this very scenario, the reply from the retail organisation that fills in the gap left by Holden Special Vehicles departing the scene was … well, intriguing.

Here’s a hard fact: No maker is resisting the shift away from fossil fuels and toward battery-compelled products, Cadillac included. General Motors’ high-end marque figures in a GM commitment to having 30 electric vehicles by 2025, including 10 for availability outside of North America. One of those is Cadillac’s first battery-compelled car, the Lyriq crossover, due out in the US next year.

Bear in mind this, also. Even though GM determined in mid-February to leave all right-hand-drive markets – a decision that finished off Holden – it remains in that game.

The C8 Corvette coming in 2021 is factory-built in that format (it was basically production-ready when GM announced its exit strategy) and GMSV will distribute it. It is also continuing availability of Silverado pickups locally converted to right-hand drive – a business previously handled by Holden Special vehicles.

And there’s this: Media speculation – never outright denied by GMSV – is that if it is to add more US-sourced models for Australasia, they will be Cadillacs.

Cadillac is now in the EV business. Its first battery model, the Lyriq crossover, is on sale in 2022 and the Celestiq, a fastbacked large luxury car, and a full-size SUV are also confirmed. There’s also been talk of a sports car.

Some of America’s Cadillac dealers are declining electric plug ‘n play.

Tasty? There’s no confirmation of any of these every selling outside of North America, but it’s worth keeping in mind that EVs are a relative cinch to transform from left to right hand drive because … well, no pesky engine under the bonnet to work around.

So with all that, it seemed relevant to ask GMSV whether those potential products might include electric vehicles.

The response? “We will continue to examine opportunities to bring vehicles to Australia and New Zealand that we believe can compete strongly in their segments, but we don’t have anything to announce at the moment.”

Not everyone in Cadillac support club likes the idea of a mains electricty-refreshed future. Subsequent to the Lyriq being unveiled in August, around 150 of the marque’s 880 domestic US dealers have decided they’d rather take buyouts from GM than make upgrades required to sell electric vehicles. The estimated spend to include charging stations, training of employees and lifts that can carry EV batteries comes to around $NZ284,000 per dealership.

The cost to prepare at retail level is but a fraction of what GM intends to spend over the next few years; in November it made clear that targets established at the beginning of 2020 have changed. Now intention is to unveil more electric cars, trucks and SUVs than previously announced and that it will produce many of them sooner than originally planned.

GM will also lift the budget for all-electric, autonomous vehicles and battery development over the next five years to $NZ39 billion, an increase of $NZ10.1 billion over initial plans announced in March.

GM has high confidence in its Ultium battery programme.

All its US domestic market brands will provision electric cars to ensure availability at “all price points for work, adventure, performance and family use.”

GM has also created a new division, EV Growth Operations, dedicated to creating new electric vehicle models and the software and services to go with them. It anticipates that within five years, 40 percent of GM models sold in the US will be electric.

Some will have a new proprietary battery system, called Ultium, which GM believes presents a breakthrough for cost, packaging and range. GM says Ultium cars can clock 750kms before need for recharging.

Cadillac aside, there are also big plans for Hummer, GMC, Chevrolet and Buick.

In addition to the Hummer EV pickup, GMC will add a Hummer EV SUV and these will eventually be joined by a mainstream electric pickup, also with GMC branding.

Chevrolet will release a replacement for the Bolt electric hatchback it presently sells in the US and Canada. Additionally, it will have an electric full-size pickup plus several SUVs and cars, though there’s never been an indication Corvette will join the electric charge. Buick has two SUVs.

All these brands have previously represented in New Zealand, though it’s been a long time between drinks for some.