Automotive giant General Motors has confirmed that the Cadillac brand will make a return to the Australian market, with a range of right-hand drive electric vehicles set to hit the market in the coming years.
The news comes from a report from CarExpert’s Scott Collie, citing sources from decision makers at General Motors that have confirmed certain EVs will be re-engineered to right-hand drive formats for sale here in Australia.
GM has stopped short of confirming an arrival date for the Cadillac brand here in Australia, likewise for which models will be headed to Australia, though we do know of its plans in terms of sales and distribution.
Rather than set up shop in brick-and-mortar dealerships, General Motors says that Cadillac vehicles will be showcased in large retail spaces and shopping centres, similar to what we’ve seen from Polestar when it established its “Space” store in Melbourne’s Chadstone shopping centre and Genesis who has been using the same format to make a lasting impression on shoppers.
Speaking with CarExpert, a General Motors’ spokesperson said that “GM participates in select right-hand drive markets around the world.”
“We have previously said that the modular Ultium platform and EV architecture offer greater flexibility in vehicle configurations.”
In other words, it’s a far simpler and less expensive process to adapt GM’s Ultium platform for both left- and right-hand drive formats, which makes an Australian launch a more feasible undertaking for GM’s bottom line.
“We do not have any product announcements to share at this time, but stay tuned,” they added.
According to the report, “GM has trademarked the names for three Cadillac electric cars in Australia, ranging from the Tesla Model Y-rivalling Optiq and Lyriq SUVs to the extra-large Escalade IQ four-wheel drive.”
