Cadillac Celestiq EV 2024: A new car, a new way of doing business

The Celestiq is GM’s first hand-built vehicle this century. As with the 1996-99 GM EV1 that came before it, production will be low and slow.

“We have a fixed capacity that we can go up to, and that’s just under two a day, and that’s for China, the Middle East and here,” Harvey said. That adds up to roughly 500 Celestiq sedans per year.

Harvey said the car is slated to open for orders late next year or early 2024, but Cadillac is already holding preview events for potential customers starting today in Los Angeles.

At these events, Cadillac representatives will explain the technical details of the car. It can go from 0 to 60 mph in about 3.8 seconds. All versions are equipped with front and rear electric motors with a total capacity of 600 hp. Rear-wheel steering and four-wheel drive are standard. Cadillac estimates the range will be more than 300 miles. Ultra Cruise hands-free system is standard equipment. Celestiq can be parked parallel or perpendicular.

The car’s 190kW DC fast charger can provide 78 miles of range with a 111kWh Ultium battery in just 10 minutes. The Celestiq is equipped with an adaptive air suspension. Its bottom is made of only six aluminum “mega-castings”. The body and interior consist of 300 fabricated parts and 115 3D printed parts.

The preview events focus on the luxurious features, style, customization and craftsmanship of the Cadillac Celestiq, which breaks new ground for the brand.

The glass roof panel, which GM says is the largest of its kind in the world, uses suspended particle technology, has four separate quadrants and allows the driver—or his or her chauffeur—to choose how much light enters the cabin. The car has five high-definition screens, the largest of which is a 55-inch pillar-to-pillar screen on the dashboard, which includes an advanced heads-up display. The 1,000-watt stereo system has 41 speakers, including three from outside the car. The HVAC system can be configured to deliver heated or cooled air to four zones, while the seats are heated and cooled.

According to Royce, Celestiq gives GM a chance to make up for the missed opportunities of the past. Earlier this century, Cadillac released a series of highly acclaimed ultra-luxury concepts such as the 2003 Sixteen, the 2011 Ciel, and the 2013 Elmiraj. Despite pleas from dealers and potential customers, Cadillac never produced a production version.

“This company has never had the guts to do something like this in my career,” Celestiq’s Royce said. “We’d take the Cadillac almost to the spot, and then we wouldn’t be done. So we’re going to get the job done, and more.”

To learn more about Cadillac’s future product plans, Click here.