Cadillac still plans to freshen gasoline-powered vehicles currently in its portfolio and could add performance variants such as V-Series to those models, Harvey said. But all next-generation vehicles will be electric.
Production of the CT4 and CT5 sedans is expected to end in 2026, with electric replacements coming in 2026 or 2027, said Jeff Schuster, president of global forecasting at LMC Automotive. Cadillac also will phase out its gasoline-powered crossovers — the XT4, XT5 and XT6 — in 2025 or 2026, as production of EV successors begins, LMC projects.
That would leave the Escalade SUV as Cadillac’s last combustion vehicle.
Production of the gasoline-powered Escalade is slated to run through 2029, just ahead of Cadillac’s all-electric deadline, Schuster said, adding that GM likely will build similar electric variants in conjunction with the internal-combustion version for up to several years.
Schuster expects GM’s Factory Zero plant in Detroit to begin building electric SUVs the size of the Escalade and Escalade ESV in 2023.
“2030 is a hedge. It certainly could get pushed further out but it also could be pulled forward” if the traditional Escalade is phased out earlier, Schuster said.
GM, which plans to offer 30 EVs globally by the end of 2025, tapped Cadillac in 2019 to spearhead its transition to electric vehicles.
In the luxury space, “it’s a competitive move,” Schuster said. “It also is really trying to create a brand image for Cadillac. Because of those price points, the volume is lower. It’s a safer bet.”
Removing gasoline-powered vehicles from the Cadillac portfolio has long been part of the plan, he added.
“I suspect Cadillac going first was always going to be the plan,” Schuster said. “The timeline and just how they get there is probably what has been evolving over the last several months.”
