….because in 10 years every car on the road will be in this exact format since that’s all the automakers are developing other than very expensive pickups.

Anyways. This one has nice styling. It is $59k before the $7500 federal tax credit so it’s a not that much more than a similar gas powered crossover from Cadillac or their competitors. And since it’s a Cadillac, it has a pretty good autonomous driving capability plus better build quality and better interior finishes than what’s offered in a similarly priced Tesla. But it’s also electric and that doesn’t work for everyone. The rapid charging network isn’t really built out in the flyover parts of the US and we don’t really have a way to handle the demand yet. This one is compatible with the Tesla superchargers though.

This is the 3rd or 4th Cadillac to come out that is EV only (I’ve lost count), which means they now probably have as many electric models as they do gasoline models. I guess GM is leaving luxury car buyers in rural areas to GMC’s Denali brand or to higher end Buicks since Cadillac is going full tilt on electric.

quote:
DETROIT – General Motors' new entry-level 2025 Cadillac Optiq electric vehicle will start at $54,000, the company said Wednesday.

The compact-sized crossover is set to be Cadillac's fourth electric vehicle when it goes on sale later this year. It follows the $59,000 Lyriq midsize crossover, the $300,000-plus bespoke Celestiq sedan and the upcoming $130,000 Escalade IQ SUV. Pricing excludes EV incentives, such as federal credits of up to $7,500.

"Cadillac has always defined American luxury, and Optiq is an example of how our bold, innovative spirit is propelling us into the EV future," John Roth, vice president of Cadillac, said in a release.

The Optiq will be sold in 10 regions, including North America, China and Europe, where it debuted Wednesday at a new Cadillac showroom in Paris.

It comes as automakers attempt to expand the appeal of EVs with less-expensive models following slower-than-expected sales for the emerging vehicles.

quote:
The vehicle, offered in Luxury and Sport trims, includes an 85-kilowatt-hour battery pack with a standard dual motor all-wheel drive propulsion system that offers a Cadillac-estimated 300 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque.

Optiq's electric range on a single charge is estimated at 300 miles. GM said the vehicle is capable of adding about 79 miles of range in about 10 minutes with a DC fast charger.

CNBC

It has a driver monitor in the steering wheel to make sure someone is in the car. The autonomous driving system is Super Cruise, which is considered the industry’s best but it’s subscription based and it is expensive. It also won’t work if you are in the back seat or if you are sleeping. It’s monitoring to make sure a person is in the driver seat and that person is awake.

While I’m sure the system is better at driving than most people from Louisiana or Texas are….the requirement to have a driver that can intervene if necessary is not a bad idea.

It’s called the Optic, which is smaller than the new Lyric and Escalade EV.