Cadillac’s electric vehicles are generating significant attention, sending shockwaves through the auto industry. The company says its $300,000 Cadillac Celestiq is already sold out through at least 2023.
Cadillac Celestiq sold out for at least 18 months
GM began transitioning Cadillac to an all-electric brand, starting with the Lyriq EV. The Cadillac Lyriq checks all the boxes with over 300 miles of real range, 190kW charging, and a price of around $60,000 (see our full review here).
The new Cadillac EV had drivers lining up at the door, selling out in under 19 minutes, showcasing the demand for luxury electric vehicles.
However, Cadillac has been calling its second EV, the Celestiq, its flagship electric vehicle with state-of-the-art features and driver experience. We knew the Cadillac Celestiq would be in the luxury segment, but GM revealed it would, in fact, be an ultra-luxury EV, hand-assembled in low volume.
Cadillac announced in October the price tag for the Celestiq would be upwards of $300,000, with personalized features that can run the price up further.
When General Motors revealed a new hand-built ultra-luxury electric vehicle from Cadillac, many questioned whether it would sell. Tony Roma, the chief engineer behind the Cadillac Celestiq, tells Autoline that the brand’s $300K hand-built EV is already sold out for at least 18 months.
The Cadillac Celestiq will be the first production vehicle built by hand at the GM Global Technical Center in Michigan. While production is slated for December 2023, the ultra-luxury EV is only available by waitlist.
Electrek’s Take
A new electric vehicle release selling out sounds like a broken record at this point, but it’s significant (and telling) for Cadillac’s $300K to generate such high interest.
In China, the leading EV market globally, luxury electric vehicles from startups like Nio, Xpeng, and Tesla are gaining market shares from German ICE vehicles as EV adoption continues accelerating.
The auto industry’s transition is well underway, and drivers are increasingly switching to electric vehicles. Significant advancements over the past few years allow EVs to drive longer, charge faster, and have superior features to their gas-powered counterparts.
The only question people should be asking at this point is not the demand, but why manufacturers are not building more electric vehicles. Cadillac may need to hire additional hands to build its ultra-luxury EV as the demand is only expected to continue climbing from here.