General Motors, on the one hand, is trying to replace Tesla in the North American market and is forced to expand the range of relatively accessible electric vehicles. On the other hand, the flagship electric sedan Cadillac CELESTIQ will be a GM application in the luxury vehicle segment. The production of cars on individual orders will start in Michigan in December 2023, and the $300,000 bar will only be the initial price of a unique electric car.
This week, GM named the start-up cost and main technical characteristics of the Cadillac CELESTIQ electric vehicle, which will become the second brand machine on the forward-looking Ultium platform. Each copy of the flagship saddle will be collected literally on a case-by-case basis, with manual work being used in the finish, the 3D printer-printed parts will be used actively, with more than 100 grand in all. Dealers will literally help the client to create the car to their own tastes, starting with the style of the salon and ending with the color of the body. The price of the electric car will increase proportionally, and the declared $300,000 will become only the initial level.
The production plan for this model is not disclosed, but even at the peak of capacity, the specialized site in Michigan will collect not more than two copies of Cadillac CELESTIQ per day. The Ultium platform will provide a 111 kWh flag-powered traction battery sedan and a 600-h power unit with a drive power capacity on both axles. The forwards will use an 11.59:1 transmitter to the rear, a 11.63:1 cutter to the rear, and will be equipped with magnetic hard-control amortizers and an active rear spoiler to increase vehicle control and stability. The power plant will provide a torque of 868 Nm and a time of 100 km/h to about 3.8 seconds.
The full charge of the traction battery shall be 483 km on a conditional cycle. Provision is made for an express charge at a DC power station of up to 200 kW, in which case the range may be increased by 125 km in just 10 minutes.
Of course, Cadillac CELESTIQ's design focused on interior and multimedia functions. More than 450 LEDs with dynamic animation are used to create ambient lighting. The salon provides an independent lighting setting for different areas. A unique glass roof can independently regulate its transparency for each of the four sections. The machine takes four people on board, including the driver.
Of the 41 dynamics of the 30-channel acoustics on-board entertainment system, three are directed to outside space to simulate the traffic sounds of the vehicle from the DAN to the surrounding area. On the front panel, a two-seat display with a diagonal of 55 inches has spread, the driver's section has a density of pixels comparable to 8K. The passenger is able to independently view the video without distracting the driver by using a polarizing filter. Each of the two rear passengers is entitled to a 12.6-inch display embedded in the back of the front chairs.
The external light technology of the electric vehicle is also unique in its own way. Each car can account for up to 1,600 individual LEDs, and in front headlamps it can produce dynamic images with the resolution of 1.3 million pixels per each. When the owner of CELESTIQ approaches, he will be welcomed by a special illustration covering the area of the falschadivator bars. The body will be heavily equipped with matte aluminium. The capacity of the on-board systems of the Ultra Cruise complex will be constantly evolving, improving its ability to assist the driver through software upgrades. All the equipment necessary for the implementation of the autopilot will already be on board CELESTIQ from the outset.