General Motors will pump in more than $81 million in its Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, to prepare the campus for the construction of the Cadillac Celestiq sedan --- its second electric vehicle based on its new Ulitum electric platform. For the record, GM has just started production of the Cadilac Lyriq, the brand’s first all-electric SUV.
The Ultium Platform encompasses a common electric vehicle architecture and propulsion components like battery cells, modules, packs, Ultium Drive units, EV motors and integrated power electronics.
What more, the Celestiq will be hand-built and also feature what is expected to be the highest volume of 3D-printed components – more than 100 – of any GM production vehicle. This is expected to include both structural and optical parts, as well as polymer and metal parts. Being a hand-built one, the vehicle will be a low-volume one, and be pricey.
Mark Reuss, president, General Motors, said: "Each one will be hand-built by an amazing team of craftspeople on our historic Technical Center campus, and today’s investment announcement emphasizes our commitment to delivering a world-class Cadillac with nothing but the best in craftsmanship, design, engineering and technology."
Cadillac Celestiq: Here's what we know of its features
Cadillac’s future flagship sedan, Celestiq, signifies a new, resurgent era for the brand. A concept of the Cadillac Celestiq, for which first teaser images have been released, will arrive at the end of July. But the company did not divulge any more details on when the production model will arrive. Initially, a show car debut will follow at the end of July. GM announced last year that it intended to become an all-electric car brand by the end of this decade.
GM will falling back on the Ultium Platform as it helps the company to commonize and streamline machinery, tooling and assembly processes. This flexibility enables lower capital investments and greater efficiencies as additional assembly plant transformations occur, it said.
GM said Celestiq's roof is expected to be one of the first to feature a four-quadrant, suspended-particle-device smart glass. With this smart glass, each occupant of the vehicle can set their own level of roof transparency. The driver and front-seat passenger will enjoy a pillar-to-pillar freeform display with active privacy to help mitigate driver distraction.
Celestiq will also have the highest volume of 3D printed components Additionally, the Celestiq production facility itself will leverage additive manufacturing for tooling, fixtures and gauges in the assembly process.
"GM’s Additive Industrialization Center, which opened on the GM Global Technical Center campus in 2020, has enabled Cadillac to establish itself at the forefront of functional and aesthetic 3D-printed components in the automotive industry. The Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V were GM’s first vehicles to benefit from additive manufacturing with parts including the shifter emblem, transmission components and HVAC ducts." the company said.
