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Cadillac will build a Tesla fighter, sources say, as GM's leading EV brand

WASHINGTON — Cadillac is expected to become General Motors' lead electric vehicle brand as the largest U.S. automaker gears up to introduce a new model under that luxury marquee to challenge Tesla, two people briefed on the matter said Thursday. GM is set to announce Friday as part of an investor update that a Cadillac will be the first vehicle based on its forthcoming "BEV3" platform, the people said. The vehicle platform is the basis for vehicle underpinnings, including the battery system and other structural and mechanical parts. GM is not expected to disclose on Friday additional details, including precisely when the Cadillac EV will be built, whether it will be a crossover or sedan, or where it will be assembled, the sources said. A GM spokesman declined to comment. GM had previously focused on making electric vehicles under its mass market Chevrolet brand, including its plug-in Chevrolet Volt and battery electric Bolt. GM announced last year it was ending production of the plug-in Volt as well as a low-selling plug-in Cadillac CT6, even as it moved to boost EV spending. GM said in November as part of its restructuring efforts it was doubling resources for electric and autonomous vehicle programs over the next two years. Last month, two Ohio senators asked GM to commit to building all future electric vehicles for U.S. buyers within the country. GM said in 2017 it planned by 2021 to introduce a new dedicated flexible electric vehicle architecture and an advanced battery system to support the development of at least 20 new models in the United States and China. GM said in 2017 that a new electric vehicle platform in 2021 will serve as a base for at least nine derivatives, ranging from a compact crossover to a large seven-passenger luxury sports utility vehicle and a large commercial van. Johan de Nysschen, who was then Cadillac's president, told Reuters at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2018 the luxury brand will play a "central role" in GM's electrification strategy, including China. He added that Cadillac would be "at the forefront" of rolling out new electric vehicles in the United States and China. He left GM in April. This week, GM said Cadillac sales in China rose 17.2 percent in 2018, surpassing 200,000 units for the first time. GM Chief Executive Mary Barra has said that GM aims to sell 1 million electric vehicles a year by 2026, many of them in China, which has set strict production quotas on such vehicles.

Timely hole-in-one wins high schooler a Cadillac or $50,000

If it happens at all, many golfers knock in hole-in-ones in the quiet of a mediocre local course while three friends sit in their carts drinking Coors Lights. After dreaming of the moment for years, lucky golfers barely have time to process the tremendous achievement before it's followed up with a double bogey on the next hole. That wasn't the case for high schooler Jack Kyger, who drilled an ace during a golf outing, and in turn, won a Cadillac or $50,000. Kyger, a junior at Harper Creek High School in Battle Creek, Mich., says he wasn't even considering a hole-in-one when he stepped up to the tee on the fourth hole at the Battle Creek Country Club. A secondary prize, a TV, would be awarded to the golfer who came closest to the pin, so Kyger was simply trying to get it close to the cup. In front of his dad and Harper Creek Superintendent Rob Ridgeway, he stuck the shot just past the hole, and with some backspin, it rolled into the pin. It's the first time somebody has hit the bullseye at the Gene Lewis Hughes, Sr. Memorial Golf Outing, which has raised more than $150,000 for the Bronson Battle Creek Cancer Care Center throughout the years. By hitting a hole-in-one, Kyger won a $50,000 decision: take home a Cadillac or a big bag of $50,000 in cash. As a student preparing to go to college, it's not an easy choice. "I haven't made up my mind," Kyger said in a USA Today article. "But the way I think about it, no 17-year-old needs a brand new Cadillac to drive around in. I have a truck that gets me places. So, if I take the cash, I would probably put most of it away for college, but keep a little back to have a bit of fun, you know." Smart kid. We did notice a peculiarity about the prize. In the attached photo, the Cadillac at the event appears to be a Cadillac ATS-V. Those familiar with Cadillac's performance vehicles know that an ATS-V starts at significantly more than $50,000 - $68,790 to be exact. So we're not sure why they're calling it a $50,000 Cadillac, unless it's a lightly used vehicle or the Cadillac in question is in fact a different car entirely. No matter the price, it sounds like Kyger is going to take the cash. If he sticks to practicing his golf game, maybe he can earn some more money for college, too. News Source: USA Today Auto News Cadillac Performance

2019 Cadillac Escalade Sport Edition goes dark for the L.A. Auto Show

Cadillac is taking a shallow swing at the L.A. Auto Show, which might have something to do with the churn and burn happening at the brand and at parent General Motors. The Escalade Sport Edition brings its dark hue to the West Coast shindig, a touch of anti-flash that's actually a pinstripe job. For $2,700, it installs Gloss Black Ice chrome on the grille, rear fascia, window surrounds, and body side moldings, and the otherwise optional 22-inch Midnight Silver wheels. That's the whole show. Available on three of the Escalade's four trims — Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Platinum — brand president Steve Carlisle said the Sport Edition comes "in response to customer and dealer demand for a dark and aggressive look." The least expensive 2WD Luxury model starts at $84,790, including destination, with orders commencing at the beginning of next year. For all that the package isn't, it is still a better deal than buyers got ten years ago, when the 2007 Escalade offered a similarly thin Sport Edition for $4,890. There are a few small changes for the Escalade line overall for 2019. The exterior colors Midnight Sky Metallic and Dark Granite Metallic leave the palette list, making room for Manhattan Noir Metallic and Shadow Metallic to join the list. In back, there's a hands-free tailgate with a logo light, standard on all trims. The Escalade Sport Edition represents both a beginning and an end for the model. The fourth-generation Escalade went on sale in 2014 as a 2015 model, and this is the first special edition it gets. This could be the last, too, since the fourth-gen money machine we called "Old, but not antiquated" in our Driver's Notes last month is expected to give way to a fifth-generation for the 2020 model year. Related Video: