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Cadillac is adding a smaller, cheaper electric SUV to its lineup. The new OPTIQ EV is slated to sit below the Cadillac LYRIQ as the brand’s new entry-level EV.

GM’s luxury brand confirmed that a fourth EV will join its growing lineup Friday. The Cadillac OPTIQ is the brand’s new entry-level EV, slated to sit below the LYRIQ SUV.

Cadillac said that the “OPTIQ’s spirited driving dynamics are designed to appeal to global luxury customers.”

Although no other details were mentioned, the new EV will have a starting price under the LYRIQ’s $58,590.

The new entry-level OPTIQ EV is expected to go on sale as early as next year. It will likely be sold in global markets, including North America, Europe, and China.

The Cadillac OPTIQ will follow the LYRIQ, the $340K Celestiq, and the recently revealed ESCALADE IQ. The ESCALADE IQ is the all-electric version of Cadillac’s full-size SUV. It will be available next year, starting at $130,000.

Cadillac-OPTIQ-EV
Cadillac OPTIQ EV (Source: Cadillac)

Cadillac unveils new entry-level OPTIQ EV

We knew GM’s luxury brand was planning to release a cheaper electric SUV after filing for the name Cadillac OPTIQ with China’s MIIT in July.

Cadillac-Optiq-EV
Cadillac OPTIQ EV (Source: China MIIT)

In August, leaked images from China’s MIIT revealed the compact electric SUV in full. The report indicated the new EV will have 143 kW front and 68 kW rear electric motors. Its battery packs will also be supplied through a CATL and SAIC joint venture. At least in China.

Cadillac-Optiq-EV
(Source: China MIIT)

At 4,822 mm (190″) long, 1,912 mm (75″) wide, and 1,643 mm (65″) tall, the Cadillac OPTIQ EV will compete directly with the Tesla Model Y ((4,750 mm long, 1,912 mm wide, 1,624 mm tall).

Cadillac is transitioning its lineup away from gas-powered vehicles by 2030. The new entry-level EV will play a key role in the luxury brand’s transition as it aims to compete with leaders like Tesla.

Cadillac-EVs
2024 Cadillac Lyriq models (Source: GM)

The brand says additional details, including features and pricing, will be released next year.

Electrek’s Take

Cadillac’s new entry-level EV looks sleek from the first images. The OPTIQ EV is a smaller, cheaper sibling to the $59K LYRIQ.

Tesla’s Model Y currently starts at $43,990 with up to 260 miles range in the US. For Cadillac to compete, starting prices should be around $45K. However, GM has disappointed buyers by dropping the entry-level Blazer EV and pushing back production of the Equinox, Silverado, and GMC Sierra Denali EVs.

GM has struggled to ramp up production of its luxury brand EVs so far. Cadillac delivered 5,334 LYRIQs through September, with 3,018 in the third quarter.

The luxury brand recently expanded into Europe, Australia, and New Zealand as it looks to grow the brand.

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Solar adds more new capacity to the US grid in 2024 than any energy source in 20 years

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Solar adds more new capacity to the US grid in 2024 than any energy source in 20 years

The US installed 50 gigawatts (GW) of new solar capacity in 2024, the largest single year of new capacity added to the grid by any energy technology in over two decades. That’s enough to power 8.5 million households.

According to the US Solar Market Insight 2024 Year in Review report released today by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie, solar and storage account for 84% of all new electric generating capacity added to the grid last year.  

In addition to historic deployment, surging US solar manufacturing emerged as a landmark economic story in 2024. Domestic solar module production tripled last year, and at full capacity, US factories can now produce enough to meet nearly all demand for solar panels in the US. Solar cell manufacturing also resumed in 2024, strengthening the US energy supply chain.   

“Solar and storage can be built faster and more affordably than any other technology, ensuring the United States has the power needed to compete in the global economy and meet rising electricity demand,” said SEIA president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. “America’s solar and storage industry set historic deployment and manufacturing records in 2024, creating jobs and driving economic growth. It’s critical that lawmakers continue to support an ‘all of the above’ energy strategy that fosters the growth of American energy sources like solar and storage.” 

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Total US solar capacity is expected to reach 739 GW by 2035, but the report forecasts include scenarios showing how policy changes could impact the solar market. Sudden changes to federal tax credits, supply chain availability, and permitting policy will create uncertainty for investors, increase costs for developers and manufacturers, and cause a slowdown in solar deployment.  

The low case forecast shows a 130 GW decline in solar deployment over the next decade compared to the base case, representing nearly $250 billion of lost investment. A slowdown at this scale could leave the US without the electricity needed to meet rising demand, threatening growth in the manufacturing and technology sectors that rely on abundant power.  

Many of the fastest-growing solar states such as Texas, Indiana, and Florida would see the largest declines in deployment under the low-case scenario. Texas alone could lose out on over $50 billion of solar investment over the next decade.    

“Last year’s record-level of installations was aided by several solar policies and credits within the Inflation Reduction Act that helped drive interest in the solar market,” said Sylvia Levya Martinez, principal analyst, North America utility-scale solar for Wood Mackenzie. “We still have many challenges ahead, including unprecedented load growth on the power grid. If many of these policies were eliminated or significantly altered, it would be very detrimental to the industry’s continued growth.”  

Texas led all states for new solar capacity additions last year, replicating a record-setting 2023 with 11.6 GW of new installations. In total, 21 states set new annual installation records, and 13 states added over 1 GW of new solar capacity in 2024.  

The utility-scale segment saw historic gains in 2024, growing by 33% year-over-year with a record 41.4 GW of installed capacity. The community and commercial solar markets also set annual records, growing by 35% and 8%, respectively. The residential solar market experienced its lowest year of installations since 2021 due to state-level policy changes and elevated interest rates nationally. Forecasts show that the market is expected to rebound over the next decade.  

Read more: IEA: power use to soar through 2027, but renewables will keep up


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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

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Elon Musk claims Tesla protests are organized by Democrats without any proof whatsoever

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Elon Musk claims Tesla protests are organized by Democrats without any proof whatsoever

Elon Musk has claimed that the Democratic party organized recent protests at Tesla locations worldwide. As he usually does with his wild claims lately, he hasn’t offered any proof whatsoever.

Over the last few weeks, there have been growing protests at Tesla locations around the word.

It started small with just a few locations in the US, but it has since grown to now dozens of locations every weekend, with sometimes hundreds of people at some locations.

Protestors have different reasons for wanting to disrupt Tesla, but they are mostly centered around seeing the company as Elon Musk’s piggybank and they are upset at his involvement in the government through his financial contribution to Trump’s election and his role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

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Musk took to X today to comment on the situation, and he made the claim that the protests at Tesla locations are funded by ActBlue:

An investigation has found 5 ActBlue-funded groups responsible for Tesla “protests”: Troublemakers, Disruption Project, Rise & Resist, Indivisible Project and Democratic Socialists of America. ActBlue funders include George Soros, Reid Hoffman, Herbert Sandler, Patricia Bauman, and Leah Hunt-Hendrix. ActBlue is currently under investigation for allowing foreign and illegal donations in criminal violation of campaign finance regulations. This week, 7 ActBlue senior officials resigned, including the associate general counsel.

ActBlue is a political action committee (PAC) used by the Democratic Party.

Musk did not elaborate on what “investigation” he was referring to nor did he provide any proof to back up his claim. In fact, he even asked for people to help provide information:

“If you know anything about this, please post in replies.”

Musk directly named Reid Hoffman, his former Paypal Mafia friend turned foe due to political differences, who was quick to deny any involvement:

Just one more of Elon’s false claims about me: I never funded anyone for Tesla protests. I don’t condone violence. But it’s clear Americans are angry at him – it’s easier to explain away their anger, than to accept that actions have consequences.

While the Democratic Party could be sympathetic to the Tesla protestors, there’s no evidence that they started the “Tesla Takedown” movement or have any significant involvement.

As we previously reported, it started as a grassroots movement with some posts on BlueSky, an X competitor, last month.

It has since gained considerable momentum, and they are now using Action Network, an open platform, to organize. As it grew, some groups have gotten involved to organize local protests, like The Disruption Project, which claims to stand “against the unjust systems of racial capitalism, the hetero-patriarchy, white supremacy and settler colonialism.”

In Seattle, The Troublemakers, a local environmentalist group, has also been helping organize.

The biggest blow to Musk’s claim is that there have also been protests outside the US, including in Canada and Europe. It’s unlikely that the US Democratic party would be involved in those.

There are currently six protests planned in Europe by the “Tesla Takedown” in the coming weeks:

Musk has also been involved in European politics, promoting far-right parties throughout Europe.

Along with the claims about the Tesla protests, Musk also retweeted someone linking several Cybertrucks burning down at a Tesla location in Seattle to “Democrat NGOs”:

Again, this claim is without evidence. In fact, the fires are still under investigation and it hasn’t yet been confirmed if it was arson.

Electrek’s Take

Could the Democratic Party be involved in some of the protests? It wouldn’t shock me, but you can claim that without proof.

I think most people involved in the protests are just mad at Elon for any of the hundreds of stupid things he has done or said in the last few months, including doing a couple of Nazi salutes at Trump’s inauguration.

He prefers to think that there’s some grand conspiracy against him because that’s easier to swallow than people hating home for being a compulsive liar, oligarch dork with the sense of humor of a maladjusted 13-year-old.

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Elon wants to rebuild exploded Cybertruck, Canadian cons, other bizarre EV news

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Elon wants to rebuild exploded Cybertruck, Canadian cons, other bizarre EV news

On today’s challenging episode of Quick Charge, Elon seems serious about rebuilding the Cybertruck that exploded outside the Trump hotel in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, there are questions about Tesla’s record-setting weekend in Canada, and lots, lots more.

In other news, we’ve got a hot tub you can sail around a lake, a 140-ton electric hoverboard from Liebherr, a $1,000 electric pickup from China, questions about the effectiveness of EV rebates in general, and a 0% interest deal on an all-new electric Dodge Charger Daytona.

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

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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