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Cadillac, Daimler execs take swipes at Tesla

Despite the financial ties between Daimler and Tesla Motors, at least one Mercedes exec thinks the electric automaker doesn't have a bright future. And over at Cadillac, the message is that Tesla doesn't pose a threat but offers the luxury arm of General Motors more of classroom experience. The Mercedes story runs like this. Mercedes-Benz USA president and CEO, Steve Cannon, said at the New York Auto Show last week that Tesla has "no network" and only offers "little shops that don't have service capacity." He also said: "Folks are buying a Tesla now because they're kind of cool, but if you're a Tesla buyer, you have to have multiple cars. With Mercedes, you have a whole network. You've got no worries. ... Tesla is great, but you've got plenty of well-established brands that mean luxury, like Porsche or Mercedes-Benz, and how long do you think we're going to wait and let Tesla be out there alone [selling premium electric cars]?" "Treehuggers do not buy new luxury cars" – Uwe Ellinghaus For Cadillac's global chief marketing officer, Uwe Ellinghaus, Tesla's EV success represents little other than "a great opportunity and a learning exercise for all of us, and will help us traditional manufacturers to think twice about electric mobility." He added that, "I am not afraid of Tesla. ... There is no willingness to really sacrifice on the traditional qualities of a luxury car. These are not cars for treehuggers, as treehuggers do not buy new luxury cars." Ellinghaus made the comments during a panel discussion at the 2014 Automotive Forum. Perhaps the lesson of Tesla's offer of free Supercharging to Model S owners is what led to Cadillac to recently announce a deal with Chargepoint that gives ELR drivers access to that company's 16,500 charging stations. Read more details on that below. Cadillac and ChargePoint Bring EV Customer Luxury Driving Experience World's largest, most open electric vehicle charging network available to ELR drivers 2014-04-16 NEW YORK – Cadillac today announced a partnership with ChargePoint, the largest and most open electric vehicle-charging network in the world. The collaboration brings Cadillac ELR drivers immediate access to more than 16,500 charging locations on the ChargePoint network. The ELR electrified luxury coupe went on sale at the end of 2013. It embodies Cadillac's Art & Science design philosophy, combining provocative design with progressive technology.

2023 Cadillac Lyriq production model revealed with range, power, price

We got our first look at the Cadillac Lyriq's design last August, and now the company is revealing the official production version of the electric crossover. The good news is that it looks almost identical to the preproduction version no matter where you look, inside or outside the car. It has the same long hood, low roof, creased body work, illuminated grille and groovy taillights. The interior retains the 33-inch instrument and infotainment screen and wood and metal trim. Only detail changes to things like the camera in the grille and the reworked control knob in the center console distinguish it from the concept. So if it basically looks the same, what's new here? Well, we finally have specifics on all the stuff that powers the concept-car body. At launch, the Lyriq will only be offered with a single motor and rear-wheel drive. The motor makes 340 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque funneled through a single-speed transmission. Supplying the motor with juice is a 100-kWh battery, though Cadillac didn't specify if that's the usable capacity or gross capacity. Cadillac estimates that the battery will provide more than 300 miles of range on a single charge. The initial models will be equipped with on-board charging equipment that can handle 19.2-kW Level 2 charging and 190-kW DC fast charging. The former can add 52 miles of range in an hour, and the latter can add 76 miles of range in 10 minutes and 195 miles in half an hour. Cadillac has made no mention of an 800-volt extra-fast DC charging system like in the GMC Hummer EV. There's a chance a system like that could be offered later, just like the forthcoming all-wheel-drive Lyriq variant. The Lyriq rides on multi-link independent suspension at all four corners, using "passive-plus" shocks, so it won't be adaptive or use GM's fancy magnetic suspension, at least at launch. Braking is provided by large 17-inch rotors at the front and 18-inch units at the back, welcome additions for the 5,610-pound crossover. Cadillac also gave us some basics on what equipment will be offered with the first run of Lyriqs. Only two colors, a silver and a black, will be available to begin with, and another silver will come a tad later. We imagine more colors will be offered on later Lyriq models. The interior comes in gray or black. Twenty-inch wheels are standard with 22-inch examples available as an option.

Why the 2015 Detroit Auto Show will be the best since The Crisis

The Detroit Auto Show clearly has its swagger back, and the 2015 edition will be a veritable feast for the enthusiast senses. We're talking serious performance, and it will be exhibited in a variety of forms. Sports cars. Supercars. Muscle-bound luxury cars. They're all set for splashy debuts in January in the Motor City. It's another signpost that companies have recovered from the global economic crisis that gripped the industry from 2008-09. For a while, automakers played it safe at Detroit and other shows. Environmentally friendly cars were important, especially for General Motors and Chrysler that were living on loans from Uncle Sam. Ford, Toyota and other companies generally focused on their best-selling or core models. With a few notable exceptions, recent auto shows have been a bit more buttoned-down than in the past. Boring probably isn't the right word, but austerity has been reality. That's changing. Car companies are making money. Sales are up. Aside from the many nagging recalls – and they are notable – the industry now has the time and energy to make performance cars a priority. That will be offered in hard evidence in Detroit. A year from now when we look back at this auto show, we'll sum it up with one word: Horsepower. But make no mistake, this isn't frivolous. Sports and luxury cars are expensive. They're profitable. They boost images and highlight strengths. With that in mind, here are five significant performance-oriented reveals to watch for when the show kicks off in less than two weeks. 2016 Acura NSX Acura's reborn NSX is a strong bet to earn plenty of votes for our Editors' Choice awards. It's one of the most anticipated – and strung-out – reveals of the year. Think back: we actually saw an NSX concept at the 2012 Detroit show, and Acura has spent the last three years teasing the car in a variety of ways. The slow burn, however, means we know a lot about the NSX. It's will use a mid-mounted twin-turbo hybrid powertrain and run with all-wheel drive. It will also wear an innovative zirconium e-coat paint, a new paint process that Honda says is more environmentally friendly. Honda has also said it will build the new NSX in Ohio, where a large part of the car's development work has been done. The original NSX was produced from 1990-2005 and helped establish Acura's performance credentials in the United States. It was a landmark car and a shot across the bow of Ferrari, Lamborghini and others.