No car brand has struggled to find itself more than Cadillac in the 21st century. The brand has vacillated between luxury and performance, sedans and crossovers, and having headquarters in Detroit and New York. Cadillac has revamped its model nomenclature several times. The only real constant has been the ever-present and popular Escalade SUV.
General Motors gave Cadillac what executive Mark Reuss called a last chance for success to be the spearhead for GM’s Ultium platform EV push. And judging from the sales numbers, it appears to be working.
Cadillac Projects EVs To Make Up As Much As 35 Percent Of Sales For 2025
Cadillac EV sales jumped from around six percent of the mix in 2023 to more than 18 percent in 2024, with the Lyriq crossover selling 28,402 units. The brand is projecting another dramatic upsurge in 2025. Cadillac told CNBC that between 30 and 35 percent of the brand’s American sales in 2025 should be EVs.
Much of that growth should come from Cadillac fleshing out its EV lineup. The 2024 EV lineup was basically just the Lyriq. But Cadillac is adding flagship Escalade IQ and extended-wheelbase Escalade IQL SUVs. The brand is fleshing out the EV crossover lineup with the entry-level Optiq and three-row Vistiq crossovers. Though it shouldn’t make a huge difference in sales numbers, Cadillac is also launching the opulent $300,000 Celestiq EV.
Though Cadillac Has Backed Off Plans To Go All-Electric
Announced plans initially called for Cadillac to go all-electric by 2030 (and all-electric except the Escalade earlier than that). However, Cadillac has abandoned that pledge for an indefinite “commitment to offer choice” for its customers (while they still demand it).
A combustion Escalade is probably a given; it’s highly profitable and made up more than a quarter of Cadillac sales in 2025. We’d also expect Cadillac to maintain a presence in the combustion performance space as it joins Formula 1 in 2026. Cadillac could pare down — if not altogether abandon — its combustion crossover and sedan lineup.
TopSpeed’s Take
Cadillac appears to have found its niche. GM invested early and heavily in its Ultium platform, allowing Cadillac to scale up and down with a wide variety of electric offerings when Ford calls selling large $50,000-plus EVs a non-starter.
Cadillac’s competitors have — for the most part — dropped the ball on EVs. Lincoln does not sell an EV. Lexus only has an uncompetitive RZ. The Mercedes/Audi/BMW triumvirate has invested in EVs. But those brands haven’t hit the affordability/desirability formula Cadillac has found with the Lyriq. An AWD Lyriq crossover starts around $15,000 cheaper than a Mercedes EQE sedan (and looks far statelier).
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