Cadillac Boss Says Lyriq Ramping Up As Brand Has More EV 'Momentum' Than You Think
Can Cadillac pull out of the Ultium slump? Also, the brand isn't ruling out more high-performance EV sedans.
When it comes to its planned transition to an all-electric lineup, General Motors didn't end 2023 on the most positive note. Though last year saw record-high EV sales, they were largely carried by the Chevrolet Bolt twins—both of which were discontinued in December. Newer, more modern offerings suffered from delays, software challenges and production woes.
But John Roth says he has reason to be optimistic about 2024. Roth is a longtime GM executive who took over as Vice President of Global Cadillac last June, and in an interview with InsideEVs recently, one word kept coming up: "momentum."
Specifically, he said, the Cadillac Lyriq is proving to be a real bright spot in GM's EV lineup. The Lyriq was the best-selling model on GM's new Ultium platform in Q4 with 3,820 units sold—a new record. In fact, the Lyriq alone made up a 10.5% share of Cadillac's total volume. Not bad, considering the Cadillac brand as a whole—including sales of its gas-powered cars—was up 9% year-over-year.
In other words, Cadillac is doing better than many people might think, and on the electric side, the Lyriq is leading the way. That percentage of electric sales puts Cadillac close to competitors like Mercedes-Benz. EVs made up 11.8% of Mercedes' global sales in 2023, trailing BMW, where the number was closer to 20%.