Home » GM Admits The Cadillac Lyriq EV Isn’t Where It Needs To Be Yet

GM Admits The Cadillac Lyriq EV Isn’t Where It Needs To Be Yet

2023 Cadillac Lyriq 510
ADVERTISEMENT

Happy Friday, folks. We did it. Two work weeks down in 2023, and only 50 more to go. In celebration of this monumental achievement, today’s Morning Dump includes news about Cadillac’s EV effort, labor issues in the electric transition, and what’s happening at Jaguar—remember Jaguar?—these days.

There’s not a ton of new news today beyond some important stuff we hit last night thanks to our pervasive insomnia and insatiable thirst for clicks, but we’re gonna make it work anyway. We’ll get through this together.

Vidframe Min Top
Vidframe Min Bottom

Have You Seen This Car?

Photo: GM

I’ve heard very positive, promising things about the Cadillac Lyriq EV. Of course, that’s all been from automotive journalist friends who have driven it in press-launch situations. I’ve seen exactly zero on the road. Have you seen any Lyriqs out there? I bet if you have, you’re based in Michigan and they’ve been company or company-adjacent cars.

ADVERTISEMENT

That’s because even General Motors will cop to a “deliberately slow” launch of the important electric crossover; Cadillac only moved 122 of them last year despite technically releasing the car in the summertime. Even the dealers, who dealt with pressure pressure from Cadillac to invest in an EV-centric overhaul, are wondering where the damn thing is, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Now we know that at least part of the problem was software and quality control issues; the former of which has dogged many automakers as they transition to EVs. From that story:

Cadillac spokesman Michael Albano acknowledged there have been some software glitches on some of the first Lyriqs built and problems with a trim panel on the rear liftgate, but he said those issues have been resolved. He added that production will increase this year.

“With every launch — no matter the vehicle — there are learnings and other items that we fix along the way,” Albano said in an email to the Free Press. “We are constantly making improvements in the build process, materials and software.”

Albano said the reason so few Lyriqs have yet to make it to customers is because “we deliberately ramped up Cadillac Lyriq production slowly and methodically last year to ensure quality for our customers. Looking ahead, we will continue to ramp up production in 2023 in order to meet the strong demand for Lyriq.”

It’s all just very weird, given how the car debuted as a concept back in 2020 and supposedly “sold out” when orders opened in 2022 (although as the Freep notes, that ordering period was only open for two hours, which feels artificially low on purpose.) And it’s a massively important car for Cadillac, said to be the tip of the spear for the storied but troubled brand’s electric future. There are also obvious issues at work here, like the supply chain issues that have hampered EV production for nearly every car company.

There’s also the added problem of the government not yet classifying the Lyriq as an “SUV” to let it qualify for the new EV tax credits. GM’s working on getting that changed, and I don’t blame them there—the new credit system has been messy, arbitrary and deeply inconsistent.

The point is, GM made a big deal out of the Lyriq, and one way or another it’s been dragging ass in getting them into people’s driveways. That’s got to change this year or Cadillac will have a lot of angry customers and dealers on its hands.

ADVERTISEMENT

Auto Sector Job Security In The EV Transition

Tesla Battery

Photo: Tesla

It’s not as sexy as 0-60 times and “Watts To Freedom” mode, but one under-covered yet crucially important story in the EV transition is what will happen to all of the manufacturing jobs in the automotive space.

On the whole, EVs need less labor to assemble (and also fewer parts and labor to fix, which is a related problem) and that has unions and other groups worried for the future of this manufacturing sector’s job market.

Here’s Automotive News on how this subject came up at a recent financial summit:

ADVERTISEMENT

Federal policy must prioritize auto workers’ job quality and fair compensation for a successful transition to electrification, panelists said at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s 29th annual automotive insights symposium Thursday.

“The green transition will not be possible… without strong and sustained political support,” said Adam Hersh, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, said at the event in Detroit. “That’s why it’s so important that we’re focusing on the quality and the quantity of the jobs that can be created.”

Employers know the cost of raising wages, but they don’t often measure the benefits of raising wages, said Susan Helper, senior advisor for industrial strategy in the White House office of management and budget.

“There’s a real reason why you want to have a skilled workforce,” she said. “In workforce, like other commodities, you get what you pay for.”

As that story notes, EVs could create more labor hours than conventional vehicles—but a lot of that would be from battery cell manufacturing, not so much car manufacturing. (This is just my opinion, but it’s also why the U.S. battery and EV supply chain stuff in the Inflation Reduction Act is so important; the alternative is all of that gets ceded to China.)

A big part of this, panelists at that forum said, is guaranteeing decent wages and hours and investing in worker training so auto sector employees can stay on the cutting edge. For the sake of good manufacturing jobs in this country, let’s hope this happens.

The Jaguar F-Type Gets A Farewell Update

Photo: Jaguar

This week we covered the minor cosmetic updates to the Jaguar I-Pace (the electric one; the E-Pace is the non-electric crossover, and it’s okay if you can never remember this because nobody does) but that wasn’t all of the Jag news. The British automaker also dropped the F-Type 75 Edition, the final farewell for this sports car.

ADVERTISEMENT

I always really loved driving the F-Type. And it’s pretty old now, but you can still look really, really attractive and awesome if you’re lucky enough to be in one. Here’s a brief rundown from Car and Driver:

The F-type lineup became V-8–only in 2023, and the 75 Edition will be offered both for the 444-hp P450 and 575-hp P575 models. Although it’s difficult to see in the shadowy photos, the 75 edition brings badges depicting the F-type’s silhouette on the front fender, door sills, and center console. You can also find “75” emblems throughout the interior and an “R” etched into the R 75 P575 model’s quad exhaust pipes.

But what’s with these darkened-ass press photos? The F-Type may be old, but it’s still one of the best-looking cars on the road, full stop. Are they trying to keep this shit a secret?

Unfortunately, like a lot of Jag’s lineup, it was kind of left to stagnate for years; the last all-new models came out in the middle of the last decade. What’s happening at Jaguar these days?

Motor 1 recently reported Jaguar Land Rover is looking at a pretty decent year ahead in 2023, with more than 215,000 client orders. But that was heavily driven by stuff like the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport; it’s an open secret that Land Rover basically underwrites that whole operation. And an Automotive News look at its future lineup back in August wasn’t exactly promising, with a large and midsize electric SUV on the way mid-decade and the I-Pace left to soldier on seemingly interminably.

I won’t resort to 2000s-era car blog tactics here and start a Jaguar Death Watch (the real old-school heads know what I’m talking about) but you have to start wondering if Indian owner Tata’s starting to eye an exit for this brand so it can focus on the cash cow that is Land Rover. That’s purely speculation on my part. But this doesn’t feel great, does it?

ADVERTISEMENT

The Flush

(We need to come up with a better name for this column than The Morning Dump. I think it undercuts what classy, sophisticated gentlemen Jason and David are. Why, just the other day, I saw David lay his coat into a puddle of mud so a woman could walk across. The jacket had been dyed with motor oil, but still, impressive.)

Anyway, Jaguar and Cadillac’s troubles here bring up something I wonder about often. Which “legacy” brands can survive the EV transition? Mike Spinelli wrote a great column about this at The Drive last year. Topline: I think Cadillac will probably be fine, hopefully even great. I’m a lot less sure about Jaguar and Alfa Romeo.

Relatedbar

The Hybrid Wankel Rotary-Powered Mazda MX-30 R-EV Is Finally Here. Here’s How It Works

Tesla Owners Are Incredibly Unhappy About Recently-Announced Discounts

Our Daydreaming Designer Imagines A Cybertruck-Shaped Camper Trailer That Almost Makes Sense

Here’s What You Should Know About 2023’s EV Tax Credits For Used Cars

 

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on whatsapp
WhatsApp
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on reddit
Reddit
Subscribe
Notify of
52 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Jblues
Jblues
1 year ago

I’d like to suggest the following names for this column:

Cold Start
Jump Start
Speed Reading

Data
Data
1 year ago
Reply to  Jblues

Drivers Ed
Back Seat Driver
Combustion Chamber

Pretty sure Cold Start is already in use; usually the first post of the day.

Jblues
Jblues
1 year ago

Seeing as how the Morning Dump is mostly posted with about a hour left in the morning, I’d agree it needs a retitle.

Ncbrit
Ncbrit
1 year ago

Tesla should buy Jaguar. Jaguar looks, and consistent panel gaps + Tesla tech and mechanicals. That would be a winner.

Chris D
Chris D
1 year ago
Reply to  Ncbrit

Good idea.
Meanwhile, Cadillac is the American version of VinFast.
Both companies are not-ready-for-prime-time players.

Ben
Ben
1 year ago

“the new credit system has been messy, arbitrary and deeply inconsistent.”

Messy? Eh, I guess you could argue that, but then in the very next section you said:

“it’s also why the U.S. battery and EV supply chain stuff in the Inflation Reduction Act is so important; the alternative is all of that gets ceded to China.”

Which is pretty much exhibit A for why this is not arbitrary and I’m not really sure how it’s inconsistent either. Everyone has to do the same thing to qualify for the credit. The fact that foreign automakers are not happy about it doesn’t automatically make it bad.

DubblewhopperInDubblejeopardy
DubblewhopperInDubblejeopardy
1 year ago

The Flush: Call it Morning Glory and for the final call it Postboned..
But you want classy. I am not classy

My Goat Ate My Homework
My Goat Ate My Homework
1 year ago

Is it sad that I find it refreshing that an EV manufacturer will delay or slow their roll out to make sure it is a good product?
I guess I got used to “ship no matter what” approaches that lead to Home Depot molding in engine bays.

Andy Individual
Andy Individual
1 year ago

Today it could be “Warm-up and Defrost”

If that Cadillac hits you, you’re likely to get razor burn.

Lokki
Lokki
1 year ago

I am actually pleased that Cadillac is doing a slow roll-out and debugging before wide release. This car is -important- for their future. It must deliver deliver a quintessential Cadillac experience; something that arguably GM has not been able to do properly since 1970. (Note -some might argue that the Escalade meets ‘The Standard’.) The Lyriq should be made of visibly high quality material, be effortlessly powerful, and not only problem-free, but annoyance free. It must not be recognizable as a tarted-up version of any other vehicle available from GM. I am not yet convinced that the General’s accountants will let the designers do the car without compromising too much but this shakedown release is a good omen. I am not particularly an American Car Guy, but I am rooting for Cadillac here.

The more nicer name for this feature?

Maybe: Autopian Transmission?

Arrest-me Red
Arrest-me Red
1 year ago

I like the name but then again I have a juvenile sense of humor.

Pretty much any brand can survive to EV, provided it is done right. That is key right now. Not randomly using a name for a sports car as a SUV or if using the same market make sure it works.

John Patson
John Patson
1 year ago

The name is obviously HTFFTT for How the Fred will I Fill This Thing, which every writer on the rota (wrota) probably thinks. Could put turbo on the end for a car look. Or even turbo? to show you are all university types…
Alfa Romeo will be fine. Peugeot and Citroën are dragging themselves ever so slowly over the all electric line, seem to have sorted out the motors which are now dropped into thermal cars, and say soon, will have a specially all electric design of their very own. Like three years.
Then they will let the Italians copy it.

...getstoneyII
...getstoneyII
1 year ago

I’m gonna double comment today as my neph who is a truck driver up in Wyoming just sent me this link :

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/01/13/take-that-california-wyoming-legislators-draft-resolution-banning-electric-vehicles-by-2035/

And no, this is not from The Onion. It’s an actual newspaper there. Them Yellowstone boys don’t play around, lol

Boulevard_Yachtsman
Boulevard_Yachtsman
1 year ago
Reply to  ...getstoneyII

The fact that the bill is firmly co-sponsored by a “Mr. Boner” does make it hard to believe it didn’t come from The Onion.

Parsko
Parsko
1 year ago

The Morning Commute (even if you WFH)

Fueledbymetal
Fueledbymetal
1 year ago

Jaguar will totally survive. It may get passed around to a couple of different owners during the EV transition, but when the entire world is driving EVs, brand heritage will be a big factor in differentiating them, so I have no doubt that there will be a Jaguar branded EV on the road 50 years from now.

Gene1969
Gene1969
1 year ago

Go old school. Call it The Morning Rush.

Man With A Reliable Jeep
Man With A Reliable Jeep
1 year ago

The Morning Crank…wait, nevermind.

Fuzzyweis
Fuzzyweis
1 year ago

I didn’t like morning dump when it started, I get it, I’m not too prudish but you have this awesome font and “Autopian” as the name which to me calls back the old GM Motoramas, all chromed and tailfin’d, and then first thing to read calls to the toilet…, not the best option.
Starter Lap? Maybe just The Starter? Ignition Coil? Distributer Cap?
Someone else said Daily Driver that sounds good.

Vetatur Fumare
Vetatur Fumare
1 year ago
Reply to  Fuzzyweis

The thing about the gears on the other site was clever, since we could easily write which story we were responding to. Sorry, I don’t have any useful ideas; all I’ve been able to think of thus far is “Morning Wood.”

Delta 88
Delta 88
1 year ago

I think Buick has some pretty good ideas, and I admire the gumption they’re putting behind their full EV transition, but let’s be honest, they have a mountain to climb if they want anyone to pay attention to them. Like, their products are going to have to be absolutely FLAWLESS in terms of styling, performance, and reliability. While I wish the best to the last of the BOP brands, I just can’t see it happening, and that’s a shame

FUCK YOU
FUCK YOU
1 year ago

The job security thing during the electric transition is definitely a thorny issue, and it’s not just cars. Over in my corner of the industry, Massachusetts just passed a bunch of state-specific building code amendments that mean new residential construction, as well as major additions and renovations, will basically have to be all-electric starting in 2024. Like, you can still have a gas stove if you want, but even then you still have to have all the wiring in place, and the service capacity, to support an electric stove. You can only have gas if you’re willing to pay for it on top of the mandatory electric system. The requirements for heating are similar—the state is pushing heat pumps hard, and they’re also about to require that new homes have dedicated clear roof space for solar installations, with wiring already roughed in to the roof, plus a 50-amp circuit for an EV charger in every garage bay.

Now, this is fucking awesome for my company, since rooftop solar, heat pumps, and EV chargers are literally the three things that we do. It’s inevitably going to drive a ton of demand for the products we install, and will help expand our industry, enabling us to grow the company and hire new workers. (We’re employee-owned too, so double yay—the new policy doesn’t just mean that the CEO gets to buy a bigger boat and a fourth house.) It’s good for the environment too, and is kind of non-negotiable if the state is going to hit its carbon goals in the coming years. The future is definitely electric, and Massachusetts is embracing that future.

However, this stuff is probably going to add about $9,000 to the cost of a new house, and when you add in the other mandated efficiency upgrades (the ones that don’t touch my industry directly) it totals up to around $40,000. Efficiency is almost always a good investment, but the upfront cost here is pretty significant, and if you hadn’t heard, we’re in the middle of a housing affordability crisis. We’re already not building enough new housing units, and the ones we are building are mostly high-end ones that only really serve people with the kind of income that means they were always going to be fine anyway. Upping the price of a new home by forty grand doesn’t help that at all.

Plus, this is going to have a negative impact on some of the more traditional trades—think plumbers and gasfitters. These are highly skilled workers, often small business owners, and they can’t just turn around and become electricians overnight even if they want to. They’ll probably still be fine in the short term as there has long been way more work for them than there are workers to actually do it, but they’ve gotta be feeling kinda gut-punched right now. And hey, we’ve got a massive electrician shortage too—who’s gonna do all this extra electrical work, when we don’t have enough people to do the work that’s already out there? (Me, that’s who. I’m a year out from my license, and feeling pretty good about my future career prospects.)

Anyway, like I said, it’s a thorny issue. I can’t help but think that this super-necessary transition could have been a lot smoother if we’d started it about thirty years ago, but I was about seven back then so I didn’t really get a say. Here we are, staring down the barrel of a global crisis the likes of which our species has never faced before, and we’ve gotta do something. Whatever we do, I have a feeling it’s going to be both too much and not enough. Things are already getting choppy, and there’s more turbulence ahead. Buckle up.

Vetatur Fumare
Vetatur Fumare
1 year ago
Reply to  FUCK YOU

I am imagining there will be plenty of jobs for people who can keep ICE-engined cars running down the road, Cuba-style.

Jack Beckman
Jack Beckman
1 year ago
Reply to  Vetatur Fumare

Because for affordability they’ll have to, just like the Cubans.

Jack Beckman
Jack Beckman
1 year ago
Reply to  FUCK YOU

Don’t forget all the extra electrical capacity needed to switch every flippin’ thing on earth to electricity. The jobs issue wouldn’t be as bad if we weren’t in a breakneck, headlong RUSH for no good reason. All these changes will mean nothing for the climate while China continues to pump out crap into the air.

Does that mean we shouldn’t do them? No, we should. But not at a pace that makes no sense. Let the grid mature to handle the load. Let people start shifting shots. Let the technology mature so it’s more useful (and let’s hope all these charges we’re putting in – supposedly – aren’t obsolete 10 years later when better tech comes along).

Government mandates are rarely a good idea.

The Porscheoisie
The Porscheoisie
1 year ago

Daily Driver.

ThatGuyWithaFiero
ThatGuyWithaFiero
1 year ago

Agree on the aerodynamic styling convergence, ever since all SUVs and crossovers gained the sunshade-appearing-but-for-aero-purposes roof extension above the hatch glass (same with the extension on the top of pickup tailgates) I’ve been calling this future homogenous perfectly aerodynamic shape the automotive singularity. Which isn’t really what singularity means, but I think it sounds snappy.
When Hyundai dropped the Ioniq 6 looking like a VW XL1, that was the point I’m marking as the beginning of this future.

Data
Data
1 year ago

I think singularity is appropriate. A black hole from which no unique design or style can escape.

ThatGuyWithaFiero
ThatGuyWithaFiero
1 year ago

This was meant to be a reply to v10omous’ thesis comment, fail

ThatGuyWithaFiero
ThatGuyWithaFiero
1 year ago

+1 on the Morning Dump retitle, I think there was plenty of calls for that when it debuted. The Morning Shift with it’s gear theme was subtle enough of a poop-joke that it didn’t come off so, I dunno, crass? I’d offer suggestions, but you have many people in your employ much better at smithing the words than I, I’m sure you’ll come you with something.

Drive By Commenter
Drive By Commenter
1 year ago

My guess: GM and Ford do okay once their marketing cracks the code on selling flyover country on EV pickups. Stellantis too. On board smoke generator so a brah can still roll coal on any Prius who dares drive on the same road? “800v smoke generator with more capacity than Chebby or Ferd!” Hey, it would scratch the itch of filling up the truck with something flammable!

The Japanese brands are stuck so far up Denial without a paddle or plan. Their dedicated EV’s so far are a joke. Honda is having GM (!) build their first EV for North America. Toyobaru can’t keep the wheels on theirs. And Mazda? Compliance car. Nissan seems to be in the best position thanks to Renault. But they have a looooong ways to go to shed their “anyone with a pulse gets financed” stigma.

H/K have good products but gawdawful dealers. Folks who have the choice of zee Germans or Tesla won’t put up with being four-squared and “no test drive until a $500 non-refundable deposit”.

And, the post 2005 startups. Tesla will be fine. Rivian may shift to commercial vehicles. Lucid is backed by King Bone Saw so they’ll be okay overseas.

That doesn’t mention the dark horses like VinFast or any of the large Chinese automakers eyeing NA.

It’ll be interesting for sure. Check back in a year to see how it goes!

Nlpnt
Nlpnt
1 year ago

Nissan had an early lead, 10 years ago the Leaf was the only EV that was a real car you could really buy except the Tesla Model S at a hundred grand. They then squandered it through the Ghosnian stagnation that they kinda-sorta got away with in things like the Frontier but not so much in the fast-moving EV space.

I’m not so sure Tesla’ll be fine. Not with Melon speedrunning from the “Dearborn Independent” stage of billionaire decline to the Kleenex-box-slippers one.

Just call the morning column Shower Spaghetti.

TheCrank
TheCrank
1 year ago

Morning Starter Fluid. Brought to you by Start Ya Bastard.

Harmanx
Harmanx
1 year ago
Reply to  TheCrank

How about just stealing the name and calling the column Start Ya Bastard

...getstoneyII
...getstoneyII
1 year ago

Seeing as how it’s going to be a running joke here for probably forever anyway, you can call it “The Morning Shower” and the “The Spaghetti” instead of “The Flush”

3WiperB
3WiperB
1 year ago
Reply to  ...getstoneyII

The “Morning Brake-Fast” could probably consist of some cold leftover shower spaghetti. I’ll show myself out.

Andy Individual
Andy Individual
1 year ago
Reply to  3WiperB

Given the vehicles so many of the staff drive, “Breakdown” would probably be more apt.

V10omous
V10omous
1 year ago

Doesn’t it seem like the brands that will survive the strongest in a hypothetical all-EV future will depend more on who locks in battery contracts (or takes manufacturing in-house) much more than vagaries of styling or marketing?

Not to sound too much like an old curmudgeon, but EVs both depend more on a single component than ICEs, and also have less to distinguish themselves from each other in the driving or styling departments. BACK IN MY DAY, you could sell an oddball vehicle to oddballs and make a living doing so. Now it’s a bunch of cookie cutter shapes, all with the same range, same acceleration, and same tablet screen UI. Buying a car will be like buying any other appliance, where price is the overriding concern for most. Hence those who secure their batteries against supply disruptions will be best positioned.

Sekim
Sekim
1 year ago
Reply to  V10omous

I agree. There is a bland sameness to all electric vehicles that makes one brand difficult to stand out from the next. I don’t know how much “BRAND” will mean in 20 years, if indeed, we do end up going all EV everywhere.

Dar Khorse
Dar Khorse
1 year ago
Reply to  Sekim

I don’t see it. Compare Teslas (which do all look similar) to the Ioniq to the EV6 to the Polestar 2, 3 and 4 to the Volvo XC40. I see as much or more distinction there as with gasoline cars.

Duke of Kent
Duke of Kent
1 year ago
Reply to  V10omous

I think you’re right IF carbuyers behave rationally. In that case, the most successful manufacturers will be the ones who are able to design efficient dependable vehicles and crank them out in large quantities quickly.

But carbuyers are NOT rational. Selecting a car is frequently as much an emotional process as it is a financial transaction. That’s why I’m not as bullish on Cadillac since, right or wrong, they’re often seen as a brand for the elderly. Exceptions abound, but in general older people are more skeptical of newer technologies like electric vehicles, and younger people don’t want to drive the same car that their granddad drives to his country club. They could make some amazing vehicles, but if their marketeers can’t get people excited about them, then they’ll flounder.

I don’t have a good opinion on which brands will succeed and which will struggle in the migration to EVs, but it’ll have to be a company with the technical chops to design a solid vehicle, the manufacturing capability to get it made, and the ability to get consumers excited about it.

V10omous
V10omous
1 year ago
Reply to  Duke of Kent

My thesis is that:

1) With all car prices rising, and EVs higher priced than ICE vehicles making more consumers price conscious than before.

2) Younger buyers caring less about driving and cars than their forebears

3) Aerodynamics being more and more important to car design, leading to convergence of styling

That car buyers will become more rational than ever before, and cars will gradually be seen as just another appliance. This doesn’t make me very happy, but neither do a lot of the trends in the current market.

Chris D
Chris D
1 year ago
Reply to  Duke of Kent

Cadillac could change their brand name to Escalade, and forget about “Cadillac” forever… or split into two brands.
Escalade Lyriq, anyone? (Nah, it’s awful no matter what the brand name is.)

MaximillianMeen
MaximillianMeen
1 year ago
Reply to  V10omous

My hope is that at least one of the companies will see a business plan in providing skateboard chassis for a coachbuilding/kit car industry. As mainstream mfgs pump out their various shades of bland with little differentiation, I would expect there to be at least a niche, maybe even substantial, market for individuality. A smaller mfg that is struggling to differentiate may be persuaded to make this a reality.

V10omous
V10omous
1 year ago

That has the potential to be very cool if regulations allow for it.

Clark B
Clark B
1 year ago

I would love to see Tesla move to this space. What does everyone always commend Tesla for? Their powertrains. They still seem to be suffering from build quality issues despite some models being around for a decade, and there are no new models on the horizon (yes I know about the Cybertruck but it’s too polarizing to be a volume seller). I’d love a Tesla powertrain in another car.

Chris with bad opinions
Chris with bad opinions
1 year ago
Reply to  V10omous

You’re right, the Lightning, Lyriq and Leaf all look identical. It’s uncanny (rolling eye emoji).

52
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x