Amid growing competition in China’s booming EV market, General Motors looks to introduce a new Cadillac electric SUV option, that’s expected to have a cheaper starting price than the Lyriq.
GM files for new cheaper Cadillac electric SUV
The automaker filed the new electric SUV under the name Cadillac Optiq, according to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT) latest catalog of models that will be allowed to be sold (via CnEVPost) in the region.
The document shows the new electric SUV will be smaller than the Cadilllac Lyriq, its first all-electric vehicle introduced in China.
It’s expected to be 4,822 mm (15.8 ft) long, 1912 mm (6.2 ft) wide, either 1,642 mm (5.4 ft) or 1,644 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,915 mm (9.5 ft).
The Optiq will be slightly smaller compared to the Cadillac Lyriq that’s 4,996 mm (16.4 ft) long, 2,207 mm wide (7.2 ft), 1,623mm (5.3 ft) tall, with a wheelbase of 3,094 mm (10.1 ft).
Cadillac’s new electric SUV is likely to target a cheaper starting price to stay competitive in China’s EV market.
Cadillac Optiq (Source: CnEVPost)
The Cadillac Optiq will come in two single-motor versions with either 150 kW or 180 kW maximum power. In addition, the electric SUV’s battery packs will be from a joint benture between China’s CATL and SAIC (whom GM has a joint venture with in the region).
According to the report, the new cheaper Cadillac electric SUV will be built at SAIC-GM’s facility in Wuhan, China.
2024 Cadillac Lyriq models (Source: GM)
The news comes days after GM announced it was slashing prices of the Lyriq EV in China earlier this week after selling just over 900 Lyriq models in the first three months of the year.
GM cut Lyriq prices by nearly 14%, from a starting price of 439,700 yuan ($60,730) to 379,700 yuan ($52,443) as EV makers like BYD, Tesla, and NIO continue to take share of the market.
Cadillac opened orders of its first all-electric SUV in China last June starting at 479,900 yuan ($67.2K). A wave of price cuts, initiated by Tesla earlier this year, has caused mamy automakers in the region to follow suit.
For example, EV maker NIO and Volkswagen both recently revealed they would lower prices to maintain competitiveness in the region.
Electrek’s Take
A smaller, cheaper all-electric SUV may be the right move for Cadillac. The EV market in China continues to get more competitive with new entrants and drastic price cuts, putting pressure on many legacy automakers.
With options like the BYD Yuan Plus, starting at 134,000 yuan ($18,500), with up to 510 km (317 miles), automakers are having a tough time staying competitive on cost.
BYD sold over 26,000 Yuan Plus models in May alone, compared to Cadillac, Buick, and Chevrolet delivering a total of 7,503 new energy vehicles this past month.
The only question I have is, when will GM bring the EVs to the states? GM and its joint venture partners have unveiled several all electric models or concepts that could make an impression in the US.
Buick has launched two Ultium-based electric SUVs and teased a new “Proxima” design concept while Cadillac China is now getting a smaller, cheaper electric SUV.
A smaller, lower-priced Cadillac EV would likely find a market in the US. In the states, GM is launching three Ultium-based EVs by the end of the year including the Silverado EV, Equinox EV, and Blazer EV.
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On today’s hyped up hydrogen episode of Quick Charge, we look at some of the fuel’s recent failures and billion dollar bungles as the fuel cell crowd continues to lose the credibility race against a rapidly evolving battery electric market.
We’re taking a look at some of the recent hydrogen failures of 2025 – including nine-figure product cancellations in the US and Korea, a series of simultaneous bus failures in Poland, and European executives, experts, and economists calling for EU governments to ditch hydrogen and focus on the deployment of a more widespread electric trucking infrastructure.
New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.
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Believe it or not, you can lease an EV for under $200 a month. New deals on models like the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6 are hard to pass up this month.
Electric vehicles have been all over the news lately, with the Trump administration threatening to end federal incentives and introducing new tariffs that are expected to lead to higher prices.
On the positive side, new EV models are arriving, giving buyers more options and driving prices down. Many automakers reported record US electric car sales in the first three months of 2024.
GM remained the number two seller of EVs behind Tesla after sales doubled in Q1 2025. With the new Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado EVs rolling out, Chevy is now the fastest-growing EV brand in the US. Ford’s Mustang Mach-E is off to its best sales start since launching, with over 11,600 models sold in the first quarter.
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With the 2025 models rolling out and about 15 new EVs arriving this year, many automakers are introducing steep discounts to move vehicles off the lot.
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 Limited (Source: Hyundai)
EVs for lease for under $200 a month in April
Although the decade-old Nissan LEAF remains one of the most affordable this April at just $149 per month, there are a few EVs under $200 right now that are worth taking a look at.
The new 2025 Hyundai IONIQ might be the best EV deal this month, with leases as low as $199. Hyundai is currently promoting a 24-month lease deal with $3,999 due at signing.
Hyundai’s new 2025 IONIQ 5 Limited with a Tesla NACS port (Source: Hyundai)
Hyundai upgraded the electric SUV with a bigger battery for more range (now up to 318 miles), a sleek new look inside and out, and it now comes with an NACS port so you can charge it at Tesla Superchargers.
The offer is for the IONIQ 5 SE RWD Standard Range, which has a driving range of up to 245 miles. For just $229 a month, you can snag the SE RWD model, which has a range of up to 318 miles and a more powerful (225 horsepower) electric motor. It’s also a 24-month lease with $3,999 due at signing.
To sweeten the deal, Hyundai is offering a free ChargePoint Home Flex Level 2 EV charger with the purchase or lease of any 2024 or 2025 IONIQ 5. If you already have one, you can opt for a $400 public charging credit.
After slashing lease prices this month, the 2025 Nissan Ariya is actually cheaper than the LEAF in some regions. In Southern California, the 2025 Nissan Ariya Evolve AWD is listed at just $129 per month. The AWD model has a range of up to 272 miles.
The deal is for 36 months, with $4,409 due at signing. In April, Nissan cut Ariya lease prices to around $239 in most other parts of the country.
Kia has a few EVs available to lease for under $200 a month in April. The 2025 Kia Niro EV Wind is listed at just $129 for 24 months, with $3,999 due at signing. Kia’s crossover SUV has EPA-estimated range of 253 miles.
2024 Kia EV6 (Source: Kia)
The 2024 EV6 may be worth considering at just $179 for 24 months ($3,999 due at signing). In California, the EV6 Light Long Range RWD is only slightly more than the Niro Wind.
In most other parts of the country, you can still find the EV6 for under $200 a month. The Light Long Range RWD trim offers up to 310 miles of EPA-estimated range.
Lease Price
Term (months)
Amount Due at Signing
Driving Range
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 SE RWD Standard Range
$199
24
$3,999
245 miles
2024 Kia EV6 Light Long Rang RWD
$179
24
$3,999
310 miles
2024 Kia Niro EV Wind
$129
24
$3,999
253 miles
2025 Nissan Ariya Evolve AWD
$129
36
$4,409
272 miles
2025 Nissan LEAF S FWD
$149
36
$2,629
149 miles
2024 Fiat 500 INSPI(RED)
$199
24
$2,999
149 miles
EVs for lease for under $200 a month in April 2025
And don’t forget the 2024 Fiat 500e, which is now listed at just $199 for 24 months with $2,999 due at signing. The electric hatchback offers a range of up to 149 miles.
Ready to snag the savings while they are still here? At under $200 a month, some of these EV lease deals are hard to pass up right now. Check out our links below to find deals in your area.
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Project Nexus, the first solar panel canopies over irrigation canals in the US, is now online in California, and there are plans to expand the project to other areas.
Project Nexus is a $20 million pilot in central California’s Turlock Irrigation District launched in October 2022. The project team is exploring solar over canal design, deployment, and co-benefits using canal infrastructure and the electrical grid.
India already has solar panels over canals, but Project Nexus is the first of its kind in the US.
The Turlock Irrigation District was the first irrigation district formed in California in 1887. It provides irrigation water to 4,700 growers who farm around 150,000 acres in the San Joaquin Valley.
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Project Nexus will explore whether the solar panels reduce water evaporation as a result of midday shade and wind mitigation, create improvements to water quality through reduced vegetative growth, reduce canal maintenance as a result of reduced vegetative growth, and, of course, generate renewable electricity.
The California Department of Water Resources, utility company Turlock Irrigation District, Marin County, California-based water and energy project developer Solar AquaGrid, and The University of California, Merced, are partnering on the pilot. Project Nexus originated from a 2021 research project led by UC Merced alumna and project scientist Brandi McKuin.
Solar panels were installed at two sites over both wide- and narrow-span sections of Turlock Irrigation District canals in Stanislaus County, in various orientations. The sections range from 20 feet wide to 100 feet wide. University of California, Merced has positioned research equipment at both sites to collect baseline data so the researchers can decide where solar will work and where it won’t.
In February 2023, Project Nexus announced it would also deploy long-term iron flow battery storage in the form of two ESS 75kW turnkey “Energy Warehouse” batteries.
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