GM Begins Production of Electric Cadillac Lyriq

GM celebrated the production of its first Ultium-powered electric Cadillac Lyriq rolling off the assembly line at its sprawling Spring Hill, Tennessee complex earlier today. It also announced plans to reopen its order books in May after selling out the entirety of its first production run within minutes of the vehicle’s announcement last year.

If all this feels a bit sooner than expected, then you you have a good memory. That’s because it is sooner than expected. In fact, GM’s production start for the big electric Cadillac is a full nine months ahead of the original launch schedule. (It’s a preemie— awww.)

Electric Cadillac Lyriq at Spring Hill Plant

How did they get so far ahead of schedule? Jamie Brewer, chief engineer of the Lyriq, credits GM’s development of virtual design and validation tools, saying it’s something that’s been happening for several years now. The Ultium platform, too, earned praise from Brewer. “Thanks to the modular and highly flexible Ultium Platform that powers Lyriq, along with advanced virtual development tools, Cadillac has been able to accelerate development and put more real-world miles on prototypes sooner than expected,” he added. “It’s exciting to see our objectives realized on the road — and it means we are on track to bring this pioneering electric luxury vehicle to customers nine months earlier than originally planned.”

At launch, the Cadillac Lyriq will be available a number of high-tech features and “stirring performance” courtesy of a 12-module, 100 kilowatt-hour battery pack and a rear-wheel-drive Ultium Platform to deliver a Cadillac-estimated 340 HP and 440 Nm of TQ (about 325 lb-ft). What’s more, Cadillac estimates more than 300 miles of all-electric range on a fully charged battery.

Lyriq also offers high-speed DC fast charging for public stations at 190 kW, enabling Lyriq buyers to add about 75 miles of range in just 10 minutes of charging time. For home charging, Cadillac offers a segment-leading 19.2 kW charging module, which can add over 50 miles of range per hour of charge.

Source: GM, via Detroit Beureau.