Automotive News Canada - June 2024 - 6

6
* JUNE 2024
Cadillac's plan:
Put customer
at ease with EVs
Growth in sales of
electric vehicles is about
having the right product
with the right features,
brand leader says
By GRACE MACALUSO
MANAGING EDITOR
THE ELECTRIC-VEHICLE
market might be softening, but
Cadillac Canada Managing Director
Mike Speranzini sees the upcoming
2025 Optiq compact crossover as the
gateway to the luxury brand as it electrifies
its product line.
SCAN
TO LISTEN
Slotting below the
Lyriq midsize crossover,
the Optiq will appeal to
a " wide demographic, "
Speranzini said during
the May 31 Automotive
News Canada Podcast.
" For a lot of folks, it'll be
their first entry into the
luxury EV space.
" I [also] think we'll
source sales from some
of our own Cadillac customers
who are ready to
make that transition from gas-powered
to an electric vehicle. "
Pricing for the Optiq has not been
announced, but Cadillac said it will
be competitive. The vehicle, which is
about the size of the XT5, goes into production
in Mexico this fall.
Though affordability and insufficient
charging infrastructure remain
obstacles to mass adoption of EVs
in Canada, Speranzini said Cadillac
" remains committed to our EV future
and having a full portfolio of electric
vehicles available by 2030. "
Cadillac will continue, at least in the
near term, to offer internal-combustion-engine
vehicles, Speranzini said.
" We have the luxury of choice of
the existing gas-powered vehicles, and
we'll listen to what the consumer has
to say and what the market demand
is, " he said. " But we're continuing to
see growth in sales of our EV vehicles
- which is telling us that when you
have the right product with the right
features, consumers are finding that
appealing. "
At the other end of the pricing spectrum
- several hundred thousand
dollars - sits the 2024 Celestiq ultraluxury
electric sedan, a hand-crafted
vehicle, which is built to
order at General Motors' Global
Technical Center in Michigan.
" The Cadillac Celestiq is targeted
to ultra-high net worth
consumers who want to make a
bold statement, " said Speranzini.
" What this vehicle offers is a
bespoke experience where you
order one and work with the
concierge team and the design
team. "
Speranzini discussed
Cadillac's strategy during an
interview that has been edited
for clarity and length.
CADILLAC SALES WERE UP TWO
PER CENT IN 2023 COMPARED
WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN
2022. WHAT ROLE IS THE LYRIQ
PLAYING IN SALES?
Right now, Lyriq represents
about 12 per cent of our overall
retail sales in Canada, and
we expect that percentage to
grow as the year progresses.
We're seeing market acceptance
nationally, particularly
in the three key cities
- Montreal, Toronto and
Vancouver - but in suburbia
across the country as well.
HOW ARE CONQUEST SALES
SHAPING UP?
Lyriq is contributing to our
growth in our conquest numbers.
From our dealers, we
are hearing that we are seeing
customers that have never
been in a Cadillac dealership.
We're seeing that from folks
who already own an EV and
are looking for a luxury EV
and a new choice to consider.
And we're seeing folks that
are in a gasoline-powered-engine
vehicle who are looking
for their first luxury EV.
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO
ACCELERATE EV ADOPTION?
I think it's seeing more of
them on the road, so that is a
big factor in folks becoming
comfortable because they're
seeing others do it. I think
it's first and foremost experiencing
the awesome driving
dynamics that go with an
electric vehicle that will
TRENDING
STORIES
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ONGOING WEB COVERAGE
So farEV DOWNTURN
For many customers,
the 2025 Optiq compact
crossover, pictured, will
be " their first entry into
the luxury EV space, " said
Cadillac Canada Managing
Director Mike Speranzini.
PHOTO: GM CANADA
make you go " wow. " And then
becoming familiar with things
like home charging, which takes
away issues related to range anxiety,
being able to leave home with
a full charge, getting comfortable
with driving day in and day out,
whether it be to work and back or
around town shopping or getting
the kids to hockey.
HOW ARE CADILLAC'S 119 DEALERS
PREPARING FOR AN EV FUTURE?
Over the last two years, we've
worked hard with our dealers
to ensure that their dealerships
are ready for
our EV future.
So, they have
chargers,
whether they
be in customer
waiting areas
and new-vehicle
delivery areas or in the service
department so that they can
charge their EVs. Both salespeople
and technicians have been
trained on how to handle an EV
and have all the tools and equipment
required for future servicing
needs.
HOW DOES CADILLAC MAKE ITS
CUSTOMERS FEEL LIKE THEIR
PURCHASE IS MORE THAN JUST
A TRANSACTION?
It is important to luxury customers
to have a luxury experience.
We're working with our dealers
on new luxury facilities, and
you're seeing several already
open across the country. There
are a number of construction
projects on the go to create a
premium experience - where
Cadillacs are displayed like art
in an art gallery - and provide
a great environment to interact
with our sales consultants. There
are other things that dealers
are doing, such as offering the
Cadillac Advantage - which
includes features like a four-year,
80,000-kilometre base warranty,
three years of OnStar and connected
services and a credit of
up to $1,500 for a home-charging
unit. - ANC
, Ford has delayed production of electric vehicles in Ontario and
General Motors is delaying production of motors. Which automaker or
supplier might be next as the interest in electric vehicles slows?
STELLANTIS EXECUTIVE EXODUS
Since January at Stellantis, COO Mark Stewart left, Tim Kuniskis retired as
CEO of Dodge and Ram, Jason Stoicevich quit after two months as U.S. retail
sales chief, Richard Schwarzwald resigned as chief customer experience
officer and Jim Morrison left as head of the Jeep Performance Parts unit.
Who's next and what does it mean for the company and its dealer network?
MORE EV INVESTMENT ON THE HORIZON
ONTARIO EXPECTS TO LAND ANOTHER MAJOR ELECTRICvehicle
battery plant, the province's economic minister told
Bloomberg in early June. Vic Fedeli sees the moment as a shortlived
opportunity to secure the future of Ontario's auto sector. " The
window in EV is going to close very, very shortly, " he said. Fedeli
wouldn't disclose the companies the province is in discussions with.
WAGONEER EV SPRINTS LIKE A SPORTS CAR
THE FIRST ELECTRIC JEEP FOR NORTH AMERICA, THE
Wagoneer S, is bringing a dose of
speed to the off-road brand's lineup
this fall. The Wagoneer S has an
estimated range of more than 480
kilometres and a zero-to-60-mph
(96 km/h) time of 3.4 seconds. The
feature-filled Launch Edition has a
starting price of $91,790 including
shipping. Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa said he wants the Wagoneer S to
take share from the Tesla Model Y.
PHOTO: JEEP
WINDSOR THE NATURAL PICK FOR APMA OFFICE
THE AUTOMOTIVE PARTS MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION
(APMA) is setting up shop in Windsor, Ont., widely regarded as the
automotive hub of Canada. An office in the Ed Lumley Centre for
Engineering Innovation at the University of Windsor will be APMA's first
permanent presence outside of the Greater Toronto Area in its 72-year
history. APMA President Flavio Volpe said that since taking his job in
2014 that " it has been a personal goal " to expand the association's
presence. " It was always going to be Windsor, " Volpe said. " Windsor
is a very unique place where you have the entire automotive supply
chain's capabilities represented there. "
CHANGING 'MARKET DYNAMICS' DELAY ID7
VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA IS PRESSING THE PAUSE
button on the launch of its new midsize electric sedan in the United
States and Canada for an unspecified
amount of time. The automaker
previously said the ID7 would
launch in the third quarter. The company's
decision to postpone comes
as electric vehicle demand slows
and North Americans continue to
favour utility vehicles over sedans.
" Volkswagen is committed to making market-driven choices while listening
to our customers, " the automaker said. " As market dynamics
continue to change, Volkswagen is delaying the introduction of the ID7
sedan in the U.S. and Canada. "
PHOTO: VOLKSWAGEN
CIVIC HYBRID BOOSTS POWER AND STYLE
ARRIVING THIS SUMMER AT HONDA DEALERSHIPS IS A
freshened Civic Hybrid with new front styling, darker taillights and
an upgraded interior. The new hybrid variants - the Sport Hybrid
and Sport Touring Hybrid - will be available in sedan and hatchback
models and are positioned at the top of the Civic lineup. The
hybrid powertrain will deliver an estimated 200 horsepower and 232
pound-feet of torque, Honda said, making it the second most powerful
Civic, next to the Type R. - ANC
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Automotive News Canada - June 2024

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