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Cadillac Super Cruise needs subscription after free trial period

Not long ago, Motor Trend broke the news that Cadillac's Super Cruise is only free for the first three years, after which the Level 2 autonomy system moves to subscription pricing. MT's report came on the eve of 2018-model-year Cadillac CT6 buyers being asked whether they wished to retain access to their Super Cruise. A few days after that report, Cadillac said it would give those first-year buyers of the technology — "the helpful adopters" — another free year, so they'll need to make a decision in August 2021 along with the 2019MY CT6 buyers. After a bit of digging by other outlets, it seems Motor Trend broke the Super Cruise news primarily to members of the media (including us); the details in the report have been communicated to customers in fine print in at least two places. First, let's clarify that the subscription is for OnStar, not Super Cruise only. Cadillac has made clear since the beginning that the tech needs an active OnStar plan, a Wi-Fi Hotspot, a working electrical system, cell reception, and a GPS signal to work. Knowing that, and knowing OnStar is only free for one month on new vehicles — GM shortened the free trial last year from three or six months — before requiring a subscription, might have encouraged someone to ask the question before now (we didn't...). In response to Jonathan Gitlin at Ars Technica asking Twitter about who knew, Bozi Tatarevic responded, "It might not have been released in the press materials but I remember reading about it in the order guide documents for the CT6 and noting that it was tied to OnStar and would eventually require a plan that started at like $25 per month." And Tatarevic pointed to this snippet in The Philadelphia Inquirer review of the CT6 from 2018: "The Super Cruise feature is part of OnStar and is free for three years. OnStar advertises subscriptions from $24.99 to $59.99 a month." If Super Cruise is only free as long as OnStar is free, then new car buyers now will get the tech for one month. Owners who cancel OnStar or choose a plan that doesn't include Super Cruise will still benefit from adaptive cruise control and lane-centering.   The automaker hasn't said what Super Cruise pricing will be, but the OnStar site apparently reveals the answer. There are six plans listed on the Compare Plans page, but two are combinations of other plans.

Cadillac's Butler announces surprise departure

The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Cadillac's vice president of global strategic development, Don Butler, has resigned. Butler has held the position since April, after a term as vice president of US marketing for General Motor's luxury brand.
As the report explains, the timing here is pretty unfortunate for Cadillac. Butler is the third high-profile member of Cadillac's brass to depart in recent months, following the firing of US sales boss Chase Hawkins and the pending departure of Susan Docherty. Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell told the Detroit paper, "Bob [Ferguson]," global boss for Cadillac, "and other leaders asked him to stay on. Don's here in the office today - and told our team that his decision is purely on a personal level. After three years of putting everything into Cadillac, he is stepping away for some personal time, and to consider new avenues in his life."
Butler says his decision is part of a decision to "recalibrate, reassess my priorities." Whatever the reason, it's an unpleasant surprise for Cadillac, which has been on a surge in 2013, with 30-percent jump in sales on the heels of the hot-selling ATS.

Chinese-made Cadillac CT6 Plug-In starts US sales

General Motors has started US sales of the Cadillac CT6 Plug-In after taking its first domestic deliveries of the China-produced sedan last month. The model is GM's first new plug-in hybrid in the US since the automaker discontinued sales of the ELR extended-range plug-in last year. The arrival and sales, first reported by InsideEVs, were confirmed by Cadillac spokesman Andrew Lipman. Not surprisingly, the sedan isn't cheap, as the CT6 Plug-In is priced at $75,095, or almost $12,000 more than the gas-powered variant, though that figure doesn't include federal and state tax credits for electric vehicles. For that tab, buyers get a 335-horsepower luxury car that can go 31 miles on electricity alone, and 0-60 miles per hour in a little over 5 seconds. The model gives GM three plug-in vehicles to sell to the American public, or the same number US competitor Ford offers. InsideEVs estimates that about 100 of the sedans have been delivered to US dealers, so the car remains a relatively low-volume affair. By comparison, GM's Chevrolet division has sold 5,563 Volt extended-range plug-ins and 3,092 Bolt electric vehicles through March. Cadillac sold 534 units of the ELR in 2016 after moving 1,024 the previous year. GM opted to produce the plug-in hybrid in China because of that country's receptiveness to new models that feature alternative and environmentally friendlier powertrains. Additionally, such production shortens the distance to the CT6's battery maker LG Chem, which is producing the car's battery packs in South Korea. On that note, GM has previously estimated that the Cadillac CT6 Plug-In will move more units in China than in the US. Related Video: