Cadillac is entering the luxury electric SUV market with its 2023 Lyriq, falling in line with many auto manufacturers as they strive for a more environmentally sustainable future. 

The vehicle features a 340 horsepower engine and a 100 kWh battery capable of driving more than 300 miles on one charge. It will start at $59,900, with pre-orders beginning September 18 and production slated to start during the first quarter of 2022. 

"We believe that it's an absolutely stunning vehicle," said Rory Harvey, global head of Cadillac. "I'm sure you'll draw your own conclusions." 

Parent company GM has committed to only producing zero-emission cars by 2035. The Lyriq will be produced at a converted plant located in Spring Hill, Tennessee. About $2 billion was invested to update the site, as well as an additional $2.3 billion to create a battery manufacturing facility that should provide an additional 1,500 U.S.-based jobs, Harvey told Cheddar. 

"There is no doubt that there is growing momentum and that EVs are the future," he said. "From our perspective, a Cadillac point of view, we will be leading the GM transition, and by 2030 all of our vehicles will be EVs." 

There are still some issues the electric vehicle industry must face, including sustainability and humanitarian concerns over mining materials used for batteries. GM and Cadillac have processes in place to ensure that its mining partners are humane and equitable to its workers, Harvey said, and has a new program to recycle 100 percent of rare materials used in the batteries. The Lyriq battery is expected to last at least eight years with regular use. 

Another concern is that there are still so few electric charging ports across the country compared to gas stations. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are only 43,900 EV charging stations compared to just north of 150,000 gas stations across the country. But with the Lyriq's extensive charge range and more EV charging stations added to the map each day, Harvey isn't concerned. 

"From our research, the average daily commute is 40 miles," he explained. "For somebody that uses it under those conditions, range anxiety shouldn't be an issue." 

Share:
More In Business
Michigan Judge Sentences Walmart Shoplifters to Wash Parking Lot Cars
A Michigan judge is putting sponges in the hands of shoplifters and ordering them to wash cars in a Walmart parking lot when spring weather arrives. Genesee County Judge Jeffrey Clothier hopes the unusual form of community service discourages people from stealing from Walmart. The judge also wants to reward shoppers with free car washes. Clothier says he began ordering “Walmart wash” sentences this week for shoplifting at the store in Grand Blanc Township. He believes 75 to 100 people eventually will be ordered to wash cars this spring. Clothier says he will be washing cars alongside them when the time comes.
State Department Halts Plan to buy $400M of Armored Tesla Vehicles
The State Department had been in talks with Elon Musk’s Tesla company to buy armored electric vehicles, but the plans have been put on hold by the Trump administration after reports emerged about a potential $400 million purchase. A State Department spokesperson said the electric car company owned by Musk was the only one that expressed interest back in May 2024. The deal with Tesla was only in its planning phases but it was forecast to be the largest contract of the year. It shows how some of his wealth has come and was still expected to come from taxpayers.
Goodyear Blimp at 100: ‘Floating Piece of Americana’ Still Thriving
At 100 years old, the Goodyear Blimp is an ageless star in the sky. The 246-foot-long airship will be in the background of the Daytona 500 — flying roughly 1,500 feet above Daytona International Speedway, actually — to celebrate its greatest anniversary tour. Even though remote camera technologies are improving regularly and changing the landscape of aerial footage, the blimp continues to carve out a niche. At Daytona, with the usual 40-car field racing around a 2½-mile superspeedway, views from the blimp aptly provide the scope of the event.
Is U.S. Restaurants’ Breakfast Boom Contributing to High Egg Prices?
It’s a chicken-and-egg problem: Restaurants are struggling with record-high U.S. egg prices, but their omelets, scrambles and huevos rancheros may be part of the problem. Breakfast is booming at U.S. eateries. First Watch, a restaurant chain that serves breakfast, brunch and lunch, nearly quadrupled its locations over the past decade to 570. Fast-food chains like Starbucks and Wendy's added more egg-filled breakfast items. In normal times, egg producers could meet the demand. But a bird flu outbreak that has forced them to slaughter their flocks is making supplies scarcer and pushing up prices. Some restaurants like Waffle House have added a surcharge to offset their costs.
Load More