General Motors began “retail production” of the 2023 model year Cadillac LYRIQ at its Spring Hill, Tennessee, assembly plant.
The automaker commited US$2 billion to Spring Hill Assembly in October 2020 for the Lyriq launch which was ahead of schedule while XT5, XT6 and GMC Acadia assembly continued in the same plant.
GM president Mark Reuss said: “We retooled Spring Hill Assembly with the best, most advanced technology in the world and the team worked tirelessly to complete the preparations nine months ahead of the original schedule.”
Orders for the Lyriq Debut Edition sold out in 10 minutes late last summer, and demand continues to grow, GM claimed. Order books for the rest of the range open on 19 May.
This first Cadillac full EV is built on GM’s Ultium Platform which uses common architecture and propulsion components like battery cells, modules, packs, drive units, EV motors and integrated power electronics.
The platform will help the automaker ‘commonise and streamline machinery, tooling and assembly processes.
“This flexibility enables lower capital investments and greater efficiencies as additional assembly plant transformations occur,” GM said in a statement.
Spring Hill, a vehicle assembly plant, metal stamping shop and engine factory, is the largest GM facility in North America. The complex opened in 1990 (to build the now defunct but then new Saturn model line) and has since assembled 4.5 million vehicles.