The first customer examples of Cadillac’s highly anticipated Lyriq electric SUV rolled off the production line on Monday, marking the start of Cadillac’s electric future.
Production is handled at General Motors’ Spring Hill Manufacturing plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, where the automaker also handles production of the Cadillac XT5 and XT6, and GMC Acadia. The plant recently received a $2 billion investment to prepare it for electric vehicles.
The Lyriq starts deliveries this summer, as a 2023 model. The first batch is a special Lyriq Debut Edition, build slots for which have been filled. Regular Lyriq reservations start May 19.
Pricing starts at $59,990, including destination.
The two-row, mid-size SUV rides on GM’s Ultium EV platform that debuted in the 2022 GMC Hummer EV. It is currently offered with a single, rear-mounted motor rated at 340 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque, plus a 100-kilowatt-hour battery that should deliver an EPA-rated range of 300 miles. A dual-motor all-wheel-drive option will be offered at a later date.
Cadillac has confirmed four more EVs for this decade. Next in the pipeline is an ultra-luxury sedan to be called the Celestiq. There will also be an electric Escalade, an electric compact crossover, and likely an electric three-row SUV positioned between the Lyriq and electric Escalade.
Not every Cadillac dealer is on board with the brand’s electric transformation. Rory Harvey, vice president of Cadillac, recently said around 315 U.S. dealerships took a cash offer to close up shop rather than spend on upgrading for the EV future. That represents about a third of Cadillac’s dealerships, though the brand will still have more stores than some rival brands even after the cull.
Note, the Lyriq isn’t technically Cadillac’s first EV. The honor goes to the ELR that arrived for 2014, though this model was an extended-range EV based on the platform of the first-generation Chevrolet Volt.
Keyword: 2023 Cadillac Lyriq now in production