Latest news with #CadillacOptiqEV
USA Today
3 days ago
- Automotive
- USA Today
Ford announces $30,000 EV pickup truck built in America
Ford CEO Jim Farley recently teased a "Model T moment" coming soon, and he announced at an event at the automaker's Louisville, Kentucky, assembly plant that it will manifest as a super affordable, all-electric, hyper-versatile small truck. It will be built in Kentucky, where Ford also assembles internal-combustion pickup trucks (F-Series Super Duty), and push the boundaries of affordability in the EV space while, apparently, taking the form factor of America's favorite vehicle: A pickup truck. In case you missed it: Cadillac Optiq EV goes pink for Mary Kay sales stars Well, the new vehicle will be a truck at first. According to Jim Farley, it will later adopt various other body styles, including multiple SUVs and maybe even a sedan (seemingly previewed by animations on large monitors behind the stage from which he delivered this news). Farley went on to lay out several other superlatives about the new vehicle, including that it will have impressive range; be capable of powering one's home in the event of a power outage for up to six days; and be "[Toyota] RAV4-sized," at least in terms of passenger space. The truck will have both a useable bed in back and a frunk in its nose, and it will be "faster than the Mustang twin-turbo," a curious claim given there is no factory twin-turbo Mustang on sale today. Perhaps he was referring to the entry-level Ford Mustang EcoBoost, a single-turbo four-cylinder powered coupe or convertible that's quick but hardly Tesla quick. In case you missed it: Here's why BMW decided to offer this daring purple paint job All of this is centered around Ford's Universal EV platform, a new architecture that aims to leverage cost savings, engineering cleverness, and manufacturing changes to streamline development and more to reduce parts count, complexity, and weight. There will be "unicasting," or larger and simpler casting techniques, fewer fasteners, 4,000 fewer feet of wiring, and a battery claimed to deliver equivalent range to today's expectations with a third less size (so, 33 percent less capacity). About that battery: It's definitely a newer, lower-cost LFP-style unit, and apparently will be structural, serving as the floor of the vehicle. Ford chief EV, digital and design officer Doug Field even noted that the way the car will be assembled is different, promising that no worker will ever need to contort an entire dashboard or other large interior or powertrain component into a body structure through a door opening again — suggesting that Ford is really looking at changing not only the design, parts sourcing, prototyping, and other elements of the vehicle but also upending the way cars have been built for the better part of the last century. Ford calls it an "assembly tree" as opposed to the traditional assembly line, where multiple sections of the vehicle are assembled in parallel before being joined near the end of the process. So far, Ford hasn't shown what the new-age Model T will look like beyond some simple line drawings of the truck's profile, as well as profiles of what appear to be a small SUV, large three-row SUV, and a van. Most likely, the first truck won't roll off Louisville's plant floor until 2027 at the earliest, but we'll keep you posted.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
2025 Cadillac Optiq SUV EV shocks with style, features and value
SAN FRANCISCO — The 2025 Cadillac Optiq EV is a road-hugging little SUV, sleek, low, wide and fun. The 2025 Optiq compact SUV is equally at home carving cliffside roads, blasting down the highway and parking in a crowded city center. Cadillac's smallest EV comes with full-time all-wheel drive, 300 horsepower and up to 302 miles range on a charge. I enjoyed a day driving an Optiq from the heart of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge and up the Marin Coast. It's as stylish and fun to drive as any small luxury SUV you'll find, and comes with unexpected goodies, including standard AKG audio with Dolby Atmos capability for a remarkable listening experience. The Optiq is in dealerships now. Luxury 1: $52,895 Luxury 2: $53,495 Sport 1: $55,095 Sport 2: $55,595 Source: Edmunds Prices exclude $1,495 destination charge The Optiq's steering is fast and direct, perfect for diving into a gap in traffic or holding the line and hitting cornering points on windy roads. The twin electric motors deliver smooth, immediate power, while the combination of heavy battery mounted low in the chassis, a wide track and sticky tires keeps the SUV composed and stable. The drivetrain offers two settings of one-pedal driving: conventional freewheeling and a bicycle-style lever on the steering wheel the driver can squeeze to apply varying amounts of deceleration, up to a significant 0.4 G-force. Continental developed dual-compound tires to deliver good range and handling. The tires also contain a sound-deadening foam that contributes to the Optiq's quiet cabin. The Optiq is easy to drive fast, quiet on the highway and practical in city traffic and parking. Audi Q4 E-tron Genesis GV60 Jaguar I-Pace Lexus RZ Mercedes-Benz EQB Polestar 3 Porsche Macan Tesla Y Volvo C40 Recharge At 190 inches long on a 116-inch wheelbase, 84 inches wide and just 64 inches tall, with a steeply raked 24-degree windshield, the Optiq combines sporty looks with easy entrance and exit, and a surprisingly roomy rear seat. For comparison, the base Optiq is 5.6 inches longer on a 4.7-inch longer wheelbase, with a 1.6-inch lower roofline than a Mercedes-Benz EQB compact electric SUV. The Optiq has 12 hp more, but 30 fewer pound-feet of torque. The Optiq's lights enhance its sleek design. The lighted grille is low and slim. The front badge is also lighted, while Cadillac's signature vertical light blades adorn the front and rear. The rear badge also is lighted, and a fast rear window complements the windscreen. The standard AKG audio system includes Dolby Atmos, which allows every element of a recording to be placed precisely in a virtual space around its listeners. Twin electric motors deliver 300 hp and 354 pound-feet of torque to the front and rear axles. Surprisingly, Cadillac doesn't offer performance figures, but I never found myself wanting more muscle. The 85 kWh battery can charge at up to 150kW DC, good for 79 miles range in 10 minutes under optimum conditions. Cadillac declines to offer the more widely used measure of time to charge from 10% or 20% to 80% or 90%, but the Optiq's quick charging should be fully competitive for the long highway drives where DC fast charging is paramount. Home charging at 240v ranges from 24 to 55 miles per hour, depending on the charger. Cadillac offers NACS adapters to use Tesla DC chargers in addition to a built-in CCS port for other fast chargers. The Optiq is likely to be one of the first General Motors EVs to replace the factory-installed CCS port with NACS, later this year. All-wheel drive 300 hp, 354 pound-feet of torque Standard 19-speaker AKG audio with Dolby Atmos NACS adapter available Dual-compound Continental tires 33 inches of continuous screen across dashboard The Optiq's interior is comfortable with supportive seats and surprising rear legroom. It's trimmed largely in attractive, sustainable materials, included fabric door tops and instrument panel made from recycled polyester. A sharp and responsive touch screen controls many features, but climate controls get welcome physical toggles. More toggles on the steering wheel handle some features, including cruise control and the Super Cruise hands-free driving system. Drivers who prefer multifunction rotary controls will find one on the center console. There's also a physical volume dial. Programmable ambient lighting and colorful trim panels complete the attractive layout. More: 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ: This is how you do a big luxury EV More: 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT EV makes a leap with new battery, features customers asked for The 2025 Optiq is a sporty and luxurious compact electric SUV. It's priced competitively and matches or exceeds competitors' performance features. Contemporary and appealing looks, inside and out, complete the package. All-wheel drive five-seat compact electric SUV Base price: $52,895 (All prices exclude $1,495 destination charge) On sale now Model tested: Optiq Sport 2 Price as tested: $55,595 Power: One electric motor on each axle Output: 300 hp, 354 pound-feet of torque Transmission: Single-speed automatic Battery: Lithium-ion, 10 modules, 85 kWh usable power Maximum charging rate 150 kWh/400 volts Maximum charging rates: Level 2, 7.7kW: 24 miles per hour of charging. 11.5 kW: 33 miles/hour. 150kW/400v DC fast charge: Up to 79 miles in 10 minutes. EPA estimated range: 302 miles Wheelbase: 116 inches Length: 190 inches Width: 84 inches (including mirrors) Height: 65 inches Passenger volume: 101 cubic feet Cargo volume: 26 cubic feet cubic feet behind second rows; 57 cubic feet behind front seats Curb weight: 5,192 pounds Assembled in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@ Follow him on Twitter mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2025 Cadillac Optiq EV delivers big on performance, style, features
