How GM aims to master the EV universe and topple Tesla by 2025

General Motors will be the leader in electric vehicles by the middle of the decade. Fighting words delivered in deadpan style by GM President and CEO Mary Barra at a recent event in Lansing, Michigan, where she announced a multi-billion dollar effort. dollars to produce all-electric trucks. She doesn’t blink, flinch or give warnings. Barra says GM has the horsepower, money, manufacturing and expertise to dominate the electric vehicle space like it once dominated the world of combustion-engine vehicles. That means taking down Tesla, keeping Volkswagen’s ambitions at bay, and repelling Ford’s frontal attack.

Half of the automaker’s North American factories will be converted to build electric vehicles by 2030. So far, GM has identified five: Factory Zero in Detroit-Hamtramck; Spring Hill in Tennessee; the Orion assembly plant in Michigan; the CAMI plant in Ontario; and the Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico.

Each new vehicle will use GM’s Ultium EV platform and battery management system, with more components being developed in-house as production ramps up. Additionally, a partnership with LG Energy Solution known as Ultium Cells is building four battery cell manufacturing plants, with the first beginning production this year.

GM says it will have the broadest portfolio of electric vehicles of any automaker. The first 20 electric vehicles will be introduced by 2023. Here’s what we know so far, by brand.

The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq, Cadillac’s first electric vehicle, will soon be available for a base price of $59,990. Built in Spring Hill, the five-passenger midsize SUV will get a 340-hp, 325 lb-ft rear-engine powertrain with a range of 300 miles to boot. A twin-engine version will be added in 2023, and sportier variants are in the works. Outside, the black crystal grille and lights perform a wild choreographed boot lighting sequence. Inside, the Lyriq features a 33-inch curved LED screen that appears to float on the dashboard, as well as smart storage compartments and premium materials.

The handcrafted Cadillac Celestiq will be Cadillac’s new flagship when it goes into production in calendar year 2023. The Celestiq is a long, low and sleek four-passenger executive sedan with a transparent glass roof with four adjustable quadrants, VIP seating, flower petals embedded in acrylic, large infotainment and instrument screens, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon computer system powering much of its technology. Inspired in its styling by the Cadillac Escala concept, the Celestiq’s long body and tailgate give it a four-door coupe silhouette, and an illuminated grille will add to its unmistakable look. The platform has been designed to accommodate up to three motors (two will be standard for AWD), and a large battery array will allow it to achieve a range of up to 300 miles without sacrificing performance. The Celestiq will be among the first vehicles to feature GM’s advanced Ultra Cruise system, an update to Super Cruise, which would allow hands-free driving for a much longer duration. The price is expected to exceed $200,000.

Cadillac’s big daddy, the three-row Escalade luxury SUV, will go electric like the rest of the Cadillac lineup. But it’s likely to be a few years away from production according to AutoForecast Solutions, which expects it to arrive in early 2024, with a long-wheelbase version a year later. After all, Cadillac needs time to celebrate (and sell) the Escalade’s last combustion engine hurrah in the form of the 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V, which will arrive in dealerships later this year. And when the Escalade goes electric, it won’t change its name like the rest of Cadillac’s SUV-bodied electric vehicles.

Cadillac will produce other all-electric SUVs in addition to the Lyriq and Escalade, the first of which we believe will be called Optiq and Symboliq. Bringing two and two together with the help of AutoForecast Vice President Sam Fiorani, we expect the Optiq to be the all-electric replacement for the XT4 compact SUV and be built in Mexico from the start. from 2024. After the Optiq will be the three-row Symboliq, which will replace the midsize XT6 from 2025 and will be assembled in Spring Hill.

It’s still unclear if Cadillac will replace the current gas-powered CT4 and CT5 sedans with EV versions after they’re discontinued in late 2025, but it’s certainly more than possible that Cadillac is planning at least a replacement sedan and possibly a companion coupe under some also form, if it deems the segments still viable.

Reviving the Hummer name on an electric pickup had people gasping at first, but here we are. The 2022 GMC Hummer EV is on sale now, a massive 1,000 horsepower electric supertruck that converts to a convertible when its roof panels are removed. Thanks in part to its three-motor 4WD system, this 9,000-pound behemoth moves like a cannon, launching from 0-60 mph in just 3.0 seconds while its 24-module battery delivers long-lasting range. ranging up to 329 miles. The Hummer EV has a theatrical WTF launch mode, the crab walks diagonally thanks to its rear steering setup, has Super Cruise for hands-free highway driving, and all the fixings to get it off-road. Sales began with the Edition 1 at $112,595, but lower trim levels will roll out over the next two years, peaking with the EV2 at $79,994 in Spring 2024.

The 2024 GMC Hummer SUV will share everything from the C-pillar forward with the Hummer pickup, including the removable roof, frunk, and large screens in the cabin. In the SUV, its three motors will generate around 830hp (smaller vehicle, smaller battery) and range should be around 300 miles. Unlike the pickup’s staged release, GMC says all trim levels of the SUV will be available for the 2024 model year with prices ranging from the Edition 1 at $105,595 to the EV2 at $79,995. , which has two engines, 625 hp and 250 miles of range. The Extreme Off-Road package is available for $5,000. Both the pickup and SUV will be built at GM’s Factory Zero in Detroit, and production of the Hummer SUV is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2023.

The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV will launch in the spring of 2023, starting with the Work Truck for commercial fleets which is expected to cost around $41,500. It will be followed by the fully loaded RST in fall 2023 for retail customers, with an expected starting price of around $106,500. The range of the crew cab/short box truck with a frunk will be around 400 miles and it brings back the mid door that Chevy previously featured on its Avalanche truck. All the details are on the page ?? When unveiling the Silverado EV at CES 2022, Barra said GM will also introduce all-electric heavy-duty trucks by 2025.

This all-electric SUV could be a game-changer if GM delivers on its promise to deliver a $30,000 vehicle to the heart of the SUV market. The 2024 Chevy Equinox EV is expected to be available in fall 2023, with fleet and retail versions available. It’s surprisingly good looking, much sleeker and more modern than the existing Equinox with more dramatically sculpted sides. There will be at least two trim levels, most likely LT and RS, and it would be built in Mexico.

The 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV is slated for Spring 2023, beating the Equinox to market. Details have been scarce ahead of its official unveiling later this year. Considering the design treatment Chevy is giving the Equinox EV, combined with the sporty and muscular Camaro-influenced two-tone styling of the current Blazer, we have high expectations for the looks department. GM promises its price will be affordable and high-volume, so we’re estimating a starting price of $35,000. It will probably be built in Mexico.

The current Chevrolet Bolt hatchback and larger Bolt EUV crossover are backed by GM’s older BEV2 electric vehicle architecture and previous-generation battery packs. Their lifespan will end by 2024 when the Orion assembly plant switches to manufacturing large electric pickups. However, GM does not plan to abandon the entry-level SUV segment. Replacements will migrate to the Ultium platform, and a single new crossover could replace the multitude of subcompacts Chevy currently has on sale: Bolt, Bolt EUV, Chevy Trax and Chevy Trailblazer. With the Bolt name tainted by recent fire-related recalls, our best guess is that Trailblazer EV will prevail if GM decides to consolidate its current offerings.

GM said Buick’s electrified push will start with two SUVs slightly smaller than the Cadillac and Chevy midsize crossovers. Both Buicks will have the same wheelbase but are aimed at different customers. One is lower, more athletic and suitable for singles and couples; the second is taller with more cargo space for families. Both will have a 30-inch curved screen. We hope the Electra brand name will adorn one of them. Eventually, we expect EVs of all sizes for Buick in North America, but for now much of the Buick brand is focused on the much larger Chinese market.

Cruise, the autonomous vehicle technology company that GM bought in 2016, is putting the finishing touches on its Cruise Origin six-passenger self-driving ride-hailing vehicle that will be assembled at Factory Zero. The Origin robotaxi has undergone extensive testing ahead of what Cruise says will be release this year, though the exact timeline is murky. When and where Origin starts working, it will be interesting to see if
paying customers will trust a vehicle with no one behind the wheel.