As Cadillac prepares to move to a lineup of only electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030, one official from the General Motors (GM) luxury brand has confirmed speculation that an EV could join its performance V-Series lineup as soon as this year.
During a media briefing last Thursday, Cadillac Global Vice President John Roth confirmed that the automaker would be sharing a V-Series EV later this year, as reported by Automotive News. The statement comes ahead of the 20-year anniversary of the V-Series line, and as many have speculated as to whether one of Cadillac’s EVs would eventually receive the distinction. He said that reporters should “stay tuned” to hear more about where the brand’s V-Series lineup would be headed.
Cadillac plans to “offer performance variants no matter the propulsion,” according to Roth.
Roth also confirmed that Cadillac has begun production of its $340,000 Celestiq EV this week, set to be hand-built at GM’s Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. The EVs will be completely customizable, bespoke EVs, and they’re expected to have no two units be the same.
“We’ve already begun building out some one-of-one, truly bespoke experiences with our key customers, who have raised their hand looking to be part of what a halo can be for Cadillac,” Roth added.
In addition, the executive noted that sales of V-Series models in the U.S. increased 55 percent last year. Cadillac currently offers the V-Series distinction for its CT4 and CT5 sedans (CT4-V and CT5-V), which can also include ultra-performance Blackwing variants, as well as the popular Escalade (Escalade-V), which the company announced would be going electric with the Escalade IQ in Q3.
Still, Cadillac has cited problems ramping up production of its EV models, due to issues with the assembly of its battery modules. The automaker last year sold around 9,100 Lyriq EV units, making up around 12 percent of Q4 retail sales, according to Roth.
It’s not clear which EV would gain the V-Series badge, but GM Authority says it will likely be the Cadillac Lyriq, based sightings of apparent test vehicles and the Lyriq-V even appearing in a drop-down menu on the automaker’s website for a very brief time. Cadillac is also expected to share more details about its Optiq and Vistiq EVs later this year.
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