Cadillac, the high-end division of General Motors, unveiled its first all-electric car on Thursday, a model dubbed Lyriq that is supposed to help the American manufacturer regain control in a market currently dominated by Tesla. The Lyriq, a cross between a 4X4 and a sedan, won't be produced until 2022. But Cadillac has promised that by 2030 most of its models will be electric.
GM has already offered hybrid or electric cars like the Chevrolet Volt and Bolt, but the group wants to move up a gear and aims to develop 20 models of all-electric vehicles by 2023. The manufacturer unveiled the battery in March powering Lyriq, Ultium, which is said to allow it to go nearly 500 kilometers (300 miles) on a single recharge.
The goal, catch up on Tesla
GM intends to integrate it into all future electric models, from the cheapest to the most luxurious, of its brands - Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, and Buick. The Lyriq will also be equipped with an autonomous driving assistance option and an 84-centimeter-wide (33-inch) screen instead of the usual dashboard location.
The car is said to help GM, which was the first major automotive group to produce an electric vehicle in the 1990s, catch up with Tesla. The group led by Elon Musk, who in the eyes of investors currently embodies the future of the automobile, is now worth much more on the stock market than the "Big Three" of Detroit - GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler.