Cadillac EV Teased in Detroit. First of BEV 3 Platform Variants

Cadillac’s second shot at Tesla?

Cadillac gave a glimpse of the brand’s first pure EV, the leading model derived from GM’s future EV platform, BEV 3. GM announced Cadillac – after  a hard lesson from Tesla in 2014 when Cadillac spectacularly failed with a $75,000 version of the Chevy Volt – will be at the forefront of GM’s electrification. The as yet unnamed EV is a crossover SUV. (GM Projects Strong Earnings, Improved Cash Flow in 2019, Is the Cadillac ELR a flop? Incentives via a Free 240 Volt Charger and ‘no-charge’ Home Installation added, BMW Has Claim on Leading Electrification. iNEXT Debuts in LA)

GM’s flexible “BEV 3” platform will provide an assortment of body styles and will be offered in electric front-wheel, rear-wheel and all-wheel drive configurations. In what could be either a decisive advantage or crushing capital investment in pursuit of a market that never or slowly emerges, BEV 3’s critical components – including the electric motors and battery cells – are being designed for usability across all GM brand EV programs.

The size and cost of the battery system will also be adjustable, based on vehicle price positioning and customer requirements. Meanwhile the GM launches of an all-new truck portfolio in the U.S. and crossovers globally will continue.

The Cadillac EV’s name and additional details will be revealed closer to launch. In a year or so. The announcement is part of Cadillac’s product acceleration announced this week — in addition to revealing the all-new XT6 crossover, the company also hinted at both a future Escalade and an upcoming performance sedan. Overall, Cadillac will introduce new models at the rate of roughly one every six months through 2021.