[Perian]

The Detroit Free Press
January 10, 2023

Photo Credit: General Motors Corporation

General Motors says it was deliberately slow with the launch of the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq as it encountered and fixed problems with the new electric vehicle. Now it has a stockpile of about 500 new 2023 Lyriqs built and parked at Spring Hill Assembly in Tennessee that GM said it will start shipping to dealers this week.

Tens of thousands of customers are waiting for the Lyriq they ordered nearly a year ago and wondering what is the holdup as dealers struggle to provide an answer. GM reported last week it delivered to customers a mere 122 Lyriqs for the entire year.

Cadillac spokesman Michael Albano acknowledged there have been some software glitches on some of the first Lyriqs built and problems with a trim panel on the rear liftgate, but he said those issues have been resolved. He added that production will increase this year.

"With every launch — no matter the vehicle — there are learnings and other items that we fix along the way," Albano said in an email to the Free Press. "We are constantly making improvements in the build process, materials and software."

Albano said the reason so few Lyriqs have yet to make it to customers is because "we deliberately ramped up Cadillac Lyriq production slowly and methodically last year to ensure quality for our customers. Looking ahead, we will continue to ramp up production in 2023 in order to meet the strong demand for Lyriq.”

The car is so important to Cadillac that dealers who have received some of the 122 delivered last year said Cadillac will not allow them to deliver it to the buyer until Cadillac engineers and specialists inspect it and teach service technicians how to service it.

Now that Cadillac has been smoothing out any initial kinks, analysts say it's crucial they get it going to market faster.

GM's Albano declined to say how many Lyriqs the automaker has made to date other than to say there are about 500 parked at GM's Spring Hill Assembly plant where the vehicle is made.

"We do have vehicles at Spring Hill and they will be shipped to customers very soon," Albano said, adding that the parked vehicles are not waiting for any parts and can start shipping this week.

"We have intentionally been managing the process to ensure quality for our customers, which remains our top priority," Albano said. "We are confident in our process."











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[Perian]

The car is so important to Cadillac that dealers who have received some of the 122 delivered last year said Cadillac will not allow them to deliver it to the buyer until Cadillac engineers and specialists inspect it and teach service technicians how to service it.

This new vehicle will literally make or break Cadillac. Remember that production was moved up a few months so really, it is just about on the original time schedule. The Lyriq has to be perfect, it has to have high quality, and it has to sell big time.

This is the future of Cadillac; it's now or never.

I applaud GM for not rushing this vehicle.

I applaud Mary Barra for not having to sleep on the factory floor.









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[tripowergto Jan2003]

I'd love to hear how much GM spent on marketing the Lyriq last year with near zero actual sales.

I get they need to create market awareness but that damn commercial plays endlessly in my head as I've heard it so often over the past year. Hopefully it's that effective in actually selling the metal.

 

[CaptainDan]

I'd love to hear how much GM spent on marketing the Lyriq last year with near zero actual sales ....

It's pretty common for companies to market products before they are available.

 

[RamJet502]

I don't understand why these vehicles aren't perfect. GM was supposed to be lightyears ahead of everyone else, but they've been the slowest getting products to market. And yet we don't see broken down Mach-E's or Lightnings like we do Hummer EV's stalled out with software issues or Bolts with battery fire issues. Honestly, I've been very disappointed with GM's showing in the EV field so far.

 

[tripowergto Jan2003]

It's pretty common for companies to market products before they are available.

I understand that but they stopped the Hummer commercials a long time ago. Of course they don't have any Hummer inventory either.

 

[FenwickHockey65]

I don't understand why these vehicles aren't perfect. GM was supposed to be lightyears ahead of everyone else, but they've been the slowest getting products to market. And yet we don't see broken down Mach-E's or Lightnings like we do Hummer EV's stalled out with software issues or Bolts with battery fire issues. Honestly, I've been very disappointed with GM's showing in the EV field so far.

https://fordauthority.com/2022/11/ford-f-150-lightning-bricked-after-charging-at-electrify-america-station/

Ford issues stop-sale of electric Mustang Mach-E crossovers due to potential safety defect

Ford says the issue with the Mustang Mach-E crossovers could cause the vehicles to become immobile.

www.cnbc.com

 

[ksr]

It's great that they're working out problems, not rushing things. But 122? You could hand-build them faster than that.

If the two issues are resolved, why isn't production now ramped up, rather than "production will increase this year," a very vague statement. They need a greater sense of urgency.

 

[CaptainDan]

I understand that but they stopped the Hummer commercials a long time ago. Of course they don't have any Hummer inventory either.

That's the point. The Hummer was advertised BEFORE it came out. Once a product is out, the product itself becomes the marketing, as reviewers and customers can relate their ACTUAL experiences. And that is way more important (and "real") than an ad campaign.

Personally, I've always been confused by all the after-release marketing. Such as all the generic corporate advertising on pick-up trucks, that don't even showcase any particular traits or features, just some ad slogan. Like there's some potential customer that's been living in a cave somewhere that just isn't aware that Chevy (or Ford or Dodge) sells pick-up trucks.

 

[supraracer]

Glad GM and Cadillac is taking this seriously. Like the old saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression.

 

[gkr778]

Like the old saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression.

Yup. And that first impression is that GM lacks competence not only in its marketing strategy for Cadillac Lyriq, but of production planning as well.

"Zero, Zero, Zero" here we come...

 

[ksr]

Yup. And that first impression is that GM lacks competence not only in its marketing strategy for Cadillac Lyriq, but of production planning as well.

"Zero, Zero, Zero" here we come...

I wonder how much damage a total lack of inventory does to GM reputation. All those commercials for the Lyriq. Go to the dealer, get told that you have to wait a year.

Or the commercials featuring the electric Bolt, Silverado, Equipnox, and Blazer. "I don't want a Bolt. Can I test drive that nice EV Blazer that I saw on TV?" "Sure! Come back in 11 months!"

 

[Cobaltss_King]

I don't understand why these vehicles aren't perfect. GM was supposed to be lightyears ahead of everyone else, but they've been the slowest getting products to market. And yet we don't see broken down Mach-E's or Lightnings like we do Hummer EV's stalled out with software issues or Bolts with battery fire issues. Honestly, I've been very disappointed with GM's showing in the EV field so far.

I thought consumer report removed the Mach E because of all the problems it’s had since launch. Plus there are YouTubers who have had some issues with there lightnings.

 

[bmwboy2007]

I don't fault GM for caution with this very important vehicle. There is pent up demand. That demand isn't going anywhere.

 

[gkr778]

I wonder how much damage a total lack of inventory does to GM reputation. All those commercials for the Lyriq. Go to the dealer, get told that you have to wait a year.

Or the commercials featuring the electric Bolt, Silverado, Equipnox, and Blazer. "I don't want a Bolt. Can I test drive that nice EV Blazer that I saw on TV?" "Sure! Come back in 11 months!"

Great examples ksr. To address your question, the damage is significant.

The disconnect between GM's promotional efforts for certain products and the appropriate production planning to support their timely introduction into the marketplace is not only one of the company's weaknesses but appears to have worsened with Ultium EV products.

 

[AWHoden]

I'd love to hear how much GM spent on marketing the Lyriq last year with near zero actual sales.

I get they need to create market awareness but that damn commercial plays endlessly in my head as I've heard it so often over the past year. Hopefully it's that effective in actually selling the metal.

Apple does it with their stuff, they always do that "silhouette with a release date" trope when they have something new.

 

[RamJet502]

I thought consumer report removed the Mach E because of all the problems it’s had since launch. Plus there are YouTubers who have had some issues with there lightnings.

I never heard about that with Consumer Reports and the Mach-E, but I do remember when it was Consumer Reports Top EV pick for 2022.

 

[AWHoden]

I wonder how much damage a total lack of inventory does to GM reputation. All those commercials for the Lyriq. Go to the dealer, get told that you have to wait a year.

Or the commercials featuring the electric Bolt, Silverado, Equipnox, and Blazer. "I don't want a Bolt. Can I test drive that nice EV Blazer that I saw on TV?" "Sure! Come back in 11 months!"

Probably next to nothing, at least for people with reading/listening comprehension skills. The commercials say "limited availablity starting fall 2023. Full lineup available starting spring 2024".

 

[ksr]

Probably next to nothing, at least for people with reading/listening comprehension skills. The commercials say "limited availablity starting fall 2023. Full lineup available starting spring 2024".

In their "EVs for Everyone" commercial that ran incessently for a while on the Roku channel, it "says" nothing about limitied availabity. In the very fine print at the bottom of the screen at the end of the ad, it does display that disclaimer. To see that, you'd better be paying extremely close attention. The commercial, if you don't know better, leaves the impression that you could go to your Chevy dealer and test drive any of those four vehicles.

 

[4gm]

I wonder if they're still working out some bugs they found that they're not telling people about.