Cadillac has lost around one-fifth of its dealers after it announced that it is going all-electric, but now it is actually gaining new dealers interested in the transition.
Previous studies have found that electric car adoption has been slowed down by car dealers who are “dismissive and deceptive” when it comes to electric vehicles.
They are the ones actually selling vehicles for automakers in the US – so if they are not on board with electrification, it seriously impedes adoption.
When Cadillac announced its move to all-electric vehicles, it told dealerships they needed to invest about $200,000 on the EV chargers, tooling, and training.
Last year, GM gave an ultimatum to Cadillac dealers who don’t want to make that investment, that they could do it or accept a settlement to exit the brand.
About one-fifth of the 880 Cadillac dealers in the US reportedly took the deal.
But now, a year later, Cadillac is actually adding new dealers in critical markets with a focus on electric vehicles.
Auto News reports:
“Cadillac is entering new luxury markets and reestablishing itself in crucial areas it had ceded to rivals — including Beverly Hills, Calif., where it hadn’t been since the 1980s, and its former home base of Manhattan, N.Y., where its only store closed last year. Some established Cadillac dealers are scooping up additional stores, while a few dealers are getting involved with the brand for the first time.”
Since the purge of EV-unfriendly dealers, Cadillac has now added eight new dealerships that hope to bank on the upcoming new electric vehicles from the brand.
The Cadillac Lyric is the first new EV coming from the brand. As we reported earlier this week, the first edition reportedly sold out in 19 minutes, however, the company didn’t confirm how many reservations were made available.
The first Lyriq deliveries are expected to begin in Q2 of 2022. The Lyriq is going to be offered with a 100 kWh battery pack enabling over 300 miles of range on the first version available, which is going to be rear-wheel-drive. Future versions of the vehicle should come with an all-wheel-drive powertrain.
The charging capacity is also very good with a 19.2 kW onboard charger, which is going to give the Lyriq access to best-in-class level 2 charging. It is also able to charge at up to 190 kW with level 3 DC fast-charging.
The starting MSRP of the Cadillac Lyriq is going to be $59,990 before taxes or incentives.
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