Lovers of sleek, luxurious, and insanely expensive cars, you’ve now got an American-made EV equivalent in the form of Cadillac Celestiq. General Motors just announced that it has finally started production at its factory in Michigan, but only in very limited numbers, of course. Here’s what that eye-watering starting price of $340,000 will buy you.
While the Rolls-Royce Spectre gives off a more stately, monolithic appearance, Cadillac’s designer went for dynamic proportions here with a sweeping roof and sleek lines, polished off with an echo of the Cadillac bustleback of yore. It’s American luxury at its finest, and inside the car, you’ll get a sense of what it’s really like to be among the 1%: bright leather (electric blue as an option), a 55-inch HD display, 38-speaker custom audio system (plus three external speakers), adaptive air suspension with 5-link front and rear, active rear steering, Eames bucket seats, climate-controlled zones, and even heated armrests.
Similar to the Rolls-Royce Specter, the 2024 model is only in limited production, with only six to be assembled at any one time, and it’s completely made to order so “no two will be alike.” Total volume will likely be around 100 to 150 units a year, GM said, with starting price at $340,000, but that’s before all the customization. For comparison’s sake, the Rolls-Royce Spectre, which has a starting price at $422,750, sold 326 units in Q4 of last year, so Cadillac is expected a bit fewer than that.
GM had originally said earlier in the year that the car would be in production at the end of last year, but quietly slipped into production this week.
Spec-wise, the Celestiq 2024 debut model comes equipped with a 111-kilowatt-hour battery pack for an expected range of about 300 miles of range on a single charge. The dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain is 600 horsepower (447 kilowatts) and gives 640 lb-ft (868 Nm) of torque – for 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds. If we’re splitting hairs, that’s a few tenths of a second faster than the Rolls-Royce Spectre’s 4.4 seconds. And that puts it in a similar category as the Audi e-tron GT or Porsche Taycan.
The vehicle can fast charge at up to 200 kW, offering up to about 78 miles of range in 10 minutes. You’ll find a similar rate in GM’s other Ultium cars, although pickups with large 200+ kWh batteries can charge at up to 350 kW and replenish 100 miles of range in 10 minutes.
A more modest option, the 2024 Cadillac Lyriq starts at $57,195, with the mid-range Luxury trim begins at $61,295. The top-of-the-line Sport mode starts at $61,795. The all-around Lyriq has been compared to the Mercedes EQE SUV, Audi A8 e-tron, and BMW iX, but it offers an impressive 300 miles or range at a price set around $60,000. The single-motor, rear-drive model comes with 340 horsepower for 0-60 mph in six seconds, and 500 hp for dual-motor.
Photo credit: Cadillac/General Motors
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Spring is here, and that means it’s pool season prep time! There’s no better way to kickstart your spring cleaning than with the Beatbot AquaSense 2 Series—the ultimate robotic cleaner designed to effortlessly prepare your pool for sunny days ahead.
Beatbot is inviting pool owners everywhere to “Spring Forward, Clean to Perfection” with up to20% off the AquaSense 2 Series – Ultra, Pro, and Standard. The limited-time offer is available from March 17 through March 31 on Beatbot’s official website and Amazon store. Read on to find out how Beatbot can keep your pool in prime condition, and don’t miss out on this fantastic discount.
Beatbot AquaSense 2 Ultra
Headlining Beatbot AquaSense 2 Series is the premium AquaSense 2 Ultra, a pool-cleaning powerhouse that sets a new standard in smart cleaning technology. It’s packed with cutting-edge features designed to make your pool maintenance not only easier but smarter and more thorough than ever before.
At the heart of the AquaSense 2 Ultra is the revolutionary HybridSense AI Pool Mapping technology. This isn’t your average robotic cleaner – it uses an AI camera alongside ultrasonic and infrared sensors to create a precise map of your pool. No matter your pool’s shape or layout, the Ultra intelligently plots the most efficient cleaning path, ensuring every inch – from floor to walls, waterline, and even the water’s surface – is spotless. Plus, with the Beatbot app, you can easily track cleaning progress and view detailed cleaning maps in real time.
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Say goodbye to juggling multiple pool-cleaning devices—the AquaSense 2 Ultra delivers unmatched convenience with its unique 5-in-1 cleaning system. This robotic marvel tackles everything: water surface, waterline, floor, walls, and even a ClearWater Clarification System. Powered by an industry-first 11-motor submarine propulsion system, it transitions effortlessly between floating and diving, guaranteeing complete and comprehensive coverage every time.
Never worry about overlooked debris again. The Ultra’s AdvancedAI Cruise Debris Detection system scans your pool after the initial clean, intelligently identifying and removing any stragglers like leaves. Its AI-driven camera and sensors continually learn and improve, recognizing different leaf types such as oak, maple, palm, and more. The result is an impressively thorough clean that traditional robots simply can’t match.
And when it comes to effortless pool management, the AquaSense 2 Ultra truly shines. With dual side brushes designed to sweep debris directly into the cleaner’s path, even pool corners and edges get pristine cleaning. Plus, the Beatbot app’s advanced navigation control lets you manually steer the AquaSense 2 Ultra across the water’s surface, making spot cleaning both precise and fun.
Finally, retrieval is easier than ever with Beatbot’s exclusive Smart Water Surface Parking technology. When cleaning finishes, or battery life falls below 15%, the AquaSense 2 Ultra autonomously returns to the pool edge, floats to the surface, and automatically releases water to make retrieval lighter and effortless. If it drifts, simply use the app’s one-touch retrieval button to bring it back to you.
The Beatbot AquaSense 2 Pro takes pool cleaning convenience to the next level with the 5-in-1 cleaning system. Featuring Beatbot’s exclusive ClearWater Clarification System and Smart Water Surface Parking, the AquaSense 2 Pro ensures every inch of your pool stays spotless with minimal effort on your part. Powered by nine precision-engineered motors, including dual floating chamber motors and surface propeller motors, it delivers exceptional maneuverability and efficiency.
Plus, the AquaSense 2 Pro offers smart app-based control for targeted surface cleaning, backed by a robust 13,400 mAh battery capable of up to 11 hours of surface cleaning or five hours of cleaning floors, walls, and waterlines. With AquaSense 2 Pro, maintaining a pristine pool has never been simpler.
The Beatbot AquaSense 2 delivers powerful, reliable cleaning performance, combining advanced technology with user-friendly convenience. Equipped with a robust 200W brushless main pump motor, this 3-in-1 robotic cleaner effortlessly tackles floors, walls, and waterlines, providing full coverage with optimized path navigation and impressive 5500 GPH suction power.
Its innovative double-pass waterline scrubbing system thoroughly removes grime, leaving your pool spotless after every cycle. Ideal for pools of all sizes, including larger ones, the AquaSense 2 features a high-capacity battery that powers up to four hours of continuous floor cleaning.
Plus, its intuitive navigation and powerful suction provides stable, efficient cleaning on vertical surfaces and hard-to-reach areas. With AquaSense 2, a pristine pool is easy to achieve, so you can spend more time swimming and less time maintaining it.
Spring forward into sparkling perfection – grab the AquaSense 2 model that best fits your needs today for up to 20% off and experience the ultimate pool-cleaning upgrade.
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Toyota is now a battery supplier? That’s the plan. Honda will use Toyota’s batteries to power up its around 400,000 hybrids sold in the US.
Toyota will supply batteries for Honda hybrids in the US
Toyota’s $14 billion battery plant in North Carolina is ready for business. The facility will begin shipping out batteries next month, and it looks like Toyota already has its first customer.
According to a new Nikkei report, starting in fiscal 2025, Toyota will supply batteries for the roughly 400,000 Honda hybrids sold in the US.
Honda currently uses batteries from China and Japan for vehicles sold in the US, but the company is (like most) preparing for changes under Trump.
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Honda’s electrified vehicles, including EVs and hybrids, accounted for over a quarter of US sales last year. The company sold over 308,500 hybrids and 40,400 electric vehicles in the US in 2024. The batteries will likely be used in the CR-V and other Honda hybrid vehicles.
Honda Prologue Elite (Source: Honda)
Earlier this month, an extra 10% tariff on imports from China took effect. And that’s on top of the 10% imposed in February.
With more expected, including a 25% increase in vehicles imported from Japan, automakers are tightening up their supply chains.
Toyota’s new bZ4X AWD model introduced in Europe (Source: Toyota)
A 25% tariff on Japanese vehicles, up from 2.5% currently, is estimated to cost the six major Japanese automakers about $20 billion in the US.
Tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada could cost Honda roughly $4.7 billion alone. Teaming up with Toyota to use its batteries for its hybrids is part of Japan’s broader global plans to ween off dependence on China and others for batteries and other emerging tech.
(Source: Toyota)
The new US plant, Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina (TBMC), is over seven million square feet, or about the size of 121 football fields.
As Toyota’s first in-house battery factory outside of Japan, the plant could be a game changer as Trump’s tariffs take effect. Securing Honda as a buyer will already help Toyota cut costs as it ramps up output.
Toyota plans to ramp up electrified vehicle (EV, PHEV, and hybrid) sales in North America from around 40% last year to 80% by 2030.
Electrek’s Take
Trump’s tariffs are already causing havoc, with nearly every automaker warning that they put the US further behind. Overseas automakers are not the only ones feeling the heat, either.
The “Big Three,” GM, Ford, and Jeep maker Stellantis all build vehicles in Canada and Mexico. GM cut output at its plant in Mexico in January, where the electric Chevy Equinox, Blazer, and Honda Prologue are made. Stellantis halted operations at its Brampton Assembly Plant in Canada last month, where it was expected to launch the Jeep Compass EV production. What’s next?
For Toyota, it looks like its $14 billion bet to build batteries in the US is already paying off. Now, we just need it to introduce more EVs.
After unveiling three new electric SUVs in Europe last week, including the updated bZ4X, Toyota hinted more is on the way for the US. Check back soon for updates.
What do you think? Do you want to see more Toyota EVs in the US, like the new C-HR+? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as military strikes are launched against Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis over the group’s attacks against Red Sea shipping, at an unspecified location in this handout image released March 15, 2025.
White House | Via Reuters
Oil prices rose on Monday after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would hold Iran responsible for any future attack by the Houthis, a militant group in Yemen that has launched missile strikes on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and on Israel.
U.S. crude oil futures rose 40 cents, or 0.6%, to $67.58 per barrel. Global benchmark Brent traded higher by 44 cents, or 0.62%, at $71.02 per barrel.
“Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN,” Trump said in a post on social media platform Truth Social. “IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!”
Trump’s threat comes after the U.S. launched a new wave of airstrikes against the Houthis over the weekend. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday the U.S. campaign will continue until the militant group halts its attacks.
“This campaign is about freedom of navigation and restoring deterrence,” Hegseth told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “The minute the Houthis say we’ll stop shooting at your ships, we’ll stop shooting at your drones, this campaign will end. But until then, it will be unrelenting.”
The Houthis began targeting commercial shipping traversing the Red Sea in late 2023 in support of Hamas, after the Palestinian militant group launched a surprise attack on southern Israel and Israel responded with a ground and air campaign in Gaza. The Houthis and Hamas are both allied with Iran.
The Houthi missile strikes have forced international shipping companies to reroute container ships that would normally pass through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
Trump has reimposed a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran with the goal of driving down the Islamic Republic’s oil exports. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently said the Trump administration’s goal is to collapse Iran’s economy.
The White House believes Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon, an allegation the Islamic Republic denies. Trump’s national security advisor, Mike Waltz, said Sunday that “all options are on the table” to ensure Iran does not acquire a nuclear bomb.
“We cannot have a situation that would result in an arms race across the Middle East in terms of nuclear proliferation,” Waltz said on ABC’s “This Week.”