General Motors’ Spring Hill Manufacturing Plant in Spring Hill Tennessee is set to begin production next year with the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq. Prototypes have now been tested and are ready for final approval.
Cadillac released Monday’s video showing some of the difficult tests that the prototypes went through as part of its so-called “80% validation drive.” The completion of this test is a significant milestone in development. It means the car and its systems can now be fine tuned before production.
It includes driving under real conditions and simulated conditions. Importantly, much of the testing takes place in extreme cold conditions, which can cause range problems for electric cars.
2023 Cadillac Lyriq
Performance driving can also be tried. While a vehicle like the Lyriq doesn’t need to be honed for a racetrack like the Nürburgring, engineers were still able to take advantage of the vehicle’s stiff structure, low center of gravity, almost 50/50 weight distributions, and five-link suspension in combination with frequency-dependent dampers, to dial in confidence-inspiring ride and handling, according to Todd Bruder, lead development engineer.
“Lyriq has exceptional torsional stiffness,” he said. “As a result, we were able to dial in exceptional responsiveness in the steering and suspension systems.”
These frequency-dependent dampers are able to distinguish between road imperfections small and large, which allows for a better damping response. This results in a greater comfort level and a quicker damping response. These are standard features on the Lyriq.
2023 Cadillac Lyriq
The Lyriq, which is the second electric vehicle built on GM’s Ultium platform, follows the 2022 GMC Hummer EV. Initially, there will be only a Lyriq debut edition available. The reservation bank is full for this model. Next summer will be the first time reservations are being taken for Lyriq models.
Lyriq Debut edition is equipped with a rear-mounted motor rated as 340 hp & 325 lbft torque. A 100-kilowatt battery provides a range of up to 300 miles according to the EPA. Other Lyriq models will also be available with a dual-motor, all-wheel drive option.
Prices start at $59,000.
2023 Cadillac Lyriq
Cadillac confirmed the addition of four EVs to its lineup for 2010, including an extremely-luxury sedan as well an electric Escalade. Some of these additional EVs’ names may just have been disclosed via trademark filings.
However, not all Cadillac dealerships are on board for the electric brand. Rory Harvey (Vice President of Cadillac) recently stated that around 315 U.S. dealers accepted a cash offer and decided to shut down rather than invest in the future. This represents around a third Cadillac dealerships. However, the brand will continue to have more shops than other brands after the cull.
