Cadillac showcased a new electric SUV concept on the eve of the 2019 Detroit auto show. The new Cadillac EV will be built on a unique electric platform and compete with Tesla's Model X SUV. Cadillac is set to become General Motors' lead electric brand. DETROIT — Last week, GM announced that its 116-year-old Cadillac luxury brand would take the lead on the carmaker's electrification strategy. On Sunday, Cadillac revealed its first all-electric design, an SUV that will be based on a fresh EV platform. "Cadillac's EV will hit the heart of the crossover [SUV] market and meet the needs of customers around the world," Cadillac president Steve Carlisle said in a statement. "It will represent the height of luxury and innovation while positioning Cadillac as the pinnacle of mobility." Targeting Tesla. Cadillac The vehicle showcased on Sunday doesn't yet have a name, but Cadillac did provide limited details on the engineering concept. "GM's future EV platform, which Cadillac will be the first to use, will be flexible, allowing the company to respond quickly to customer preferences with a relatively short design and development lead time," the automaker said. "The Cadillac portfolio will eventually benefit from a variety of body styles that can be spun off this architecture." Read more: GM is defying naysayers with a bullish 2019 outlook, and plans to take on Tesla with Cadillac The new design will compete directly with Tesla's Model X, the main all-electric crossover currently in the market. It's been a big 2019 Detroit auto show for Cadillac; the brand also revealed a three-row SUV, the XT6, and suggested that the legendary Escalade SUV may be updated soon. "Overall, Cadillac will introduce new models at the rate of roughly one every six months through 2021," Cadillac said in a statement.<doc-sep>Cadillac on Sunday unveiled the brand's first electric vehicle and said it will be General Motors' leader in designing and launching EVs going forward. GM CEO Mary Barra said Cadillac will be known by consumers for its innovation. "Taking the lead in innovation and technology will make Cadillac Cadillac again," Barra told reporters at a media event in Detroit where the EV was shown along with Cadillac's new 3-row SUV the XT6. GM offers the Chevrolet Bolt, an electric vehicle, now, but Barra said allowing Cadillac to take the lead will take the luxury brand to "the next level." Cadillac showed reporters gathered on the eve of the Detroit auto show a photo of the brand's first EV, but did not release a launch date or other details. The vehicle will be the first off a future platform GM is developing for EVs that will accommodate all-wheel, front- and rear-wheel drive vehicles across the automaker's four brands. Not only will the Cadillac portfolio eventually benefit from a variety of body styles that can be spun off this architecture, but so will other brands, Barra said. The most advanced components within this platform are the drive units and battery cells, both of which are being designed for maximum usability throughout GM's global vehicle lineups. The output of the EV battery systems will be adjustable based on vehicle and customer needs. On Friday, GM told investors that Cadillac will be at the forefront of GM's goal to offer an all-electric vehicle lineup in the future. GM will build the new XT6 in Spring Hill, Tennessee, but it remains unclear where it will build the new Cadillac EVs. A spokesman for GM said the company is not discussing production location yet. In November, GM said it would idle five plants in North America, three of them vehicle assembly plants. One is Detroit-Hamtramck, which makes the Chevrolet Volt hybrid sedan. Another is in Lordstown, Ohio, where GM builds the Chevrolet Cruze compact car. The third is in Oshawa, Ontario. Asked if Detroit-Hamtramck or Lordstown might be a good fit for a future EV product, Barra said, "We first have to get our capacity utilization right and we're working hard to give job opportunities to all of the impacted employees." She noted that GM has 2,700 open jobs in plants including Flint, Spring Hill and Arlington, Texas. So far, 700 of the impacted workers at Detroit-Hamtramck and Lordstown have been placed in other plants. "We'll continue to work with our UAW partners to do that," said Barra. More:Hundreds of GM hourly workers transfer to Flint, leaving family behind More:Cadillac rolls out Escalade's 'little brother,' the XT6, at Detroit auto show More:XT6 SUV debuts an evolution of Cadillac’s styling theme As for the Cadillac EV, it will be a crossover vehicle that will "hit the heart of the crossover market and meet the needs of customers around the world,” said Steve Carlisle, president of Cadillac. “It will represent the height of luxury and innovation while positioning Cadillac as the pinnacle of mobility.” The Cadillac EV’s name and additional details will be revealed closer to launch. Cadillac is on an aggressive product launch path, planning to roll out a new vehicle every six months through 2021. In addition to revealing the new XT6, Carlisle on Sunday evening hinted at both a future Escalade and an upcoming performance sedan. Contact Jamie L. LaReau: 313-222-2149 or jlareau@freepress.com<doc-sep>Hi! We notice you're using an ad blocker. Please consider allowing Autoblog. We get it. Ads can be annoying. But ads are also how we keep the garage doors open and the lights on here at Autoblog - and keep our stories free for you and for everyone. And free is good, right? If you'd be so kind as to allow our site, we promise to keep bringing you great content. Thanks for that. And thanks for reading Autoblog. Allow Us!<doc-sep>
Cadillac revealed Sunday what will likely be the first electric vehicle in the luxury brand’s portfolio. And surprise, it’s a crossover. The images of the full-size crossover SUV, which was unveiled during a debut party for the 2020 Cadillac XT6 in Detroit, kicks off a transformation of GM’s luxury brand. On Friday, GM announced plans to turn Cadillac into its lead electric vehicle brand in a bid to compete against Tesla as well as a host of other automakers bringing EVs onto the market. Not much is known about this crossover yet. Cadillac said the name of the electric crossover and additional details about the vehicle will be revealed closer to launch. This vehicle will not be based on the electric architecture found on GM’s Chevrolet models, the Volt or the Bolt EV. GM is starting with a clean slate and developing a new battery electric architecture, which Cadillac will be the first to use. The most advanced components within the platform are the drive units and battery cells, which will be used throughout GM vehicle lineups in different countries, according to the automaker. The EVs can be configured in front-, rear- or all-wheel drive, and the output of their battery systems will be adjustable based on vehicle and customer needs, GM said. The battery system also will be adjustable, based on vehicle and customer requirements. This appears to be the beginning of an aggressive product acceleration for Cadillac. Fresh off the XT6 crossover reveal, Cadillac also hinted at both a future Escalade and an upcoming performance sedan. Cadillac said it plans to introduce new models at the rate of roughly one every six months through 2021.