Lyra Martin Auto 07.22.2022 11:Jul AM EDT

General Motors Reveals its $300,000 Cadillac Celestiq | Here's What You Should Know

GM debuted the ultra-luxury electric Cadillac Celestiq, which's style is inspired by coaches of the pre-World War II period.

GM Finally Disclosed its Ultra-Luxury Cadillac Celestiq

After a year of teasing, General Motors unveiled the $300,000 ultra-luxury electric automobile known as the Cadillac Celestiq.

It is Cadillac's first significant attempt to take a piece of the high-end market presently dominated by brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

A 55-inch-diagonal screen spanning the front of the car, a "smart glass roof" with adjustable transparency options, and Ultra Cruise, GM's next-generation advanced driver-assist system, are among the five LED interactive displays that the car will have. GM has also claimed that Ultra Cruise will be able to drive itself in most situations.

According to GM, designers were inspired by well-known automobiles like the hand-built 1957 Eldorado Brougham and the custom V-16 powered "coaches" of the pre-World War II period.

The vehicle represents a shift for Cadillac toward hand-built automobiles, which are typically reserved for ultra-luxury automobiles like Rolls-Royce's unique variants and high-end sports cars. By the end of this decade, Cadillac wants only to sell electric vehicles.

The Celestiq is oddly referred to by GM as a "show vehicle," suggesting that it is only a bespoke creation meant for public exhibition and not for sale. Intriguingly, GM feels the need to draw that distinction, even if it does not necessarily imply that there will be significant alterations once the production version is unveiled.

This 2023 electric car will be the first to integrate GM's new Ultra Cruise sophisticated driver-assist technology, which covers "95%" of driving situations on 2 million miles of US roadways. The system uses Qualcomm's new Snapdragon Ride Platform, which can process "several hundred" PCs.

GM is Reorganizing its Semiconductor Chip Management to Ensure Supply

General Motors is reorganizing how it controls its semiconductor chip supply to guarantee it has enough for its cars.

GM will switch to three chip families that the business will own and manage by 2025, according to CEO Mary Barra in an interview with The Associated Press.

She said that because these chips can do several duties, there won't be a need for numerous chips in each car.

But since manufacturing is still being disrupted, Ms. Barra anticipates that parts and chip shortages will persist into the following year.

Chip shortages have been a problem for General Motors, as they are for pretty much every manufacturer.

In areas like the US, it has been obliged to remove luxuries like heated seats from several cars temporarily. Still, unlike other manufacturers, it has let buyers have the items reinstalled afterward.

Ms. Barra told The Associated Press that by centralizing supplies rather than enabling vendors to purchase and store chips, GM would have the purchasing power to buy in large quantities and prevent supply disruptions.

The COVID-19 lockdowns that disrupted production and chip shortages that forced automakers to either lower output or eliminate features from cars have been challenging years for the automobile industry.

Supply chains have also been directly impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine since large quantities of wire harnesses are manufactured there.