The Cadillac Lyriq show car officially dropped cover yesterday during a livestream broadcast that previewed the brand’s battery-driven future. Of course, just how far out that future really is could come as a surprise to some, as the Cadillac Lyriq launch is slated for the late 2022 calendar year, as confirmed by ex-Cadillac president and current General Motors North America president, Steve Carlisle.
During a recent conference call with media attended by Cadillac Society, Carlisle was asked about when production will begin.
“We’re looking at a late 2022 introduction as a 2023 model,” Carlisle responded.
That means that as of this writing, we’re still more than 24 months away from the launch of the production-ready Cadillac Lyriq.
By traditional automotive industry standards, that’s quite a while to wait. However, the rules are somewhat different for electric cars, it seems.
For instance, Tesla, currently the biggest name in the EV space, is notorious for announcing vehicles years before they actually launch, followed by delivering products later than originally promised. A prime example is the launch of the Tesla Roadster 2.0, which was first previewed in November of 2017 during the debut of the Tesla Semi Truck. At the time, Tesla said that the new Roadster 2.0 would be available in 2020, which is more than two years from the time it was unveiled. The start-up also took hefty $50,000 deposits to pre-order the vehicle, which was said to retail for upwards of $200,000.
Just recently, however, Tesla pushed production back to mid to late 2021.
Indeed, while a 24-month timeframe for the launch of the Cadillac Lyriq might seem lengthy for Cadillac, it seems par for the course when it comes to EVs.
As a reminder, the vehicle that debuted yesterday was the Cadillac Lyriq show car, which is 80 to 85 percent production ready. The Lyriq will offer 100 kWh of energy and more than 300 miles of range, and come with the option for DC fast charging at rates over 150 kW.
The Lyriq will come with RWD as standard, but AWD will be optional. The cabin will sport a 33-inch LED display and a 19-speaker AKG stereo, as well as the semi-autonomous Super Cruise driver assist system.
Do you think the Cadillac Lyriq launch is too far out, or is it just fine? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and make sure to subscribe to Cadillac Society for more Cadillac Lyriq news and around-the-clock Cadillac news coverage.
2023 Cadillac Lyriq Show Car Photos
Johnls_39
Personally, I think it is too long of a wait but that is the industry norm considering that the EV Plant will make final preparations to be fully operational while the battery plant construction is now underway which generally will take close to two years to be completed for the battery plant that is huge.
Greg
I too wish they had delayed the unvieling a few more months. Waiting 2+ years is a bit much.
William Snyder
Knowing what Cadillac does to new models, it will be delayed, delayed, then one model year later it will be cancelled for something the Chinese want.
Greg
….name one instance where this was the case.
William Snyder
CT6 comes to mind. or perhaps the XTS?
Greg
How were EITHER of those models: “delayed, delayed then one model year later it will be cancelled for something the Chinese want.”
??????
The XTS was on the market 7 years! How was it “delayed, delayed”? What did “the Chinese” have to do with its cancellation? You think they should continue building a 7 year old design indefinitely?
How was the the CT6 “delayed, delayed”? It was on the market for nearly 5 years, not as you as you say ” one model year”. As for the Chinese, they are the ones that actually BUY THEM! Americans certainly didn’t.
It would have been stupid for GM to have invested heavily in redesigning and updating 2 ageing vehicles that don’t sell. And that has nothing to do with China.
John Engelman
Some food for thought………….
I wonder if the front fender is a manual or electric to get to the charger. I wonder what you can do when you can’t get it open, and the battery goes dead.
Those wheels look awfully big, must be 22″, and expensive…..that’s a big climb to get in….and try lifting something heavy that high to put in the back.
Wonder how much the pricing is, probably $60,000+ for the base model….
Greg
I’m sure some provision has been made for a low charge battery. But I think that would be a very rare occurrence.
Yes, the wheels are huge. But I’d wager they are for effect. Remember this is a Showcar. Concept/Show cars very often have outsized wheels for dramatic effect.
Johnls_39
According to Steve Carlisle, the production LYRIQ will cost under $75K. Then again by that time, that projected price is not set in stone. The Model X cost around $79K starting off.
Greg
Thanks.
This surprises me. Not the price but the fact it was announced so long before prosuction begins. That’s highly unusual.