Jump to content
Create New...
  • 💬 Join the Conversation

    CnG Logo SQ 2023 RedBlue FavIcon300w.png
    Since 2001, Cheers & Gears has been the go-to hub for automotive enthusiasts. Join today to access our vibrant forums, upload your vehicle to the Garage, and connect with fellow gearheads around the world.

     

  • William Maley
    William Maley

    Closing the Book: GM Shutters Cadillac's Subscription Program

      Could make a return in the future

    Cadillac was one of the first brands to launch a subscription service. Called Book, the service allowed users to access Cadillac's lineup including the Escalade and CTS-V for a monthly fee. But only a year after it launched the program, General Motors is pulling the plug.

    The Wall Street Journal broke the news this afternoon, learning from sources that the company will end operations of Book by the end of the year. Subscribers will have a 30-day window from the time they notified to turn in their vehicles. A GM spokesman confirmed the closure.

    According to sources, certain aspects of Book proved to be quite costly. A key example was some of the back-end technology used to support the service "made some customer-service functions tedious and time-consuming, adding costs for the company." This move comes a few days after GM announced that it would be offering voluntary buyouts to 18,000 salaried workers.

    Analysts say car subscriptions bring a number of headaches with trying to deal with the logistics of keeping vehicles repaired, cleaned, and delivering them within a short time frame.

    “Some of these services will even transfer your stuff from car to car, from your phone charger to your kid’s stroller. The problems posed in offering that level of service at scale are vast,” said Ivan Drury, senior analyst with Edmunds.com.

    The GM spokesman told the Wall Street Journal that the program could restart in the future.

    “We are hitting the pause button for a brief time to make some tweaks to Book [by Cadillac] based on our learnings,” he said.

    Cadillac isn't the only brand that is rethinking the whole subscription model. Hyundai closed down their program which offered Ioniq Electrics only in California, though the brand is planning a revamped version to appear in the future. Lincoln is looking into making changes to their service which offers off-lease vehicles.

    Source: Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required)

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    Not surprised, I wondered about all the back end costs associated with supporting a program like this. I honestly do not see this making a return in the future as I do not think companies will ever make the drastic computerized changes needed to better track this and manage it and due to the over all costs of things in the US, you cannot find cheap enough labor to deal with all the other manual things that go on as has been listed above.

    Concept is great for those that like to change auto's frequently but reality is another thing.

    RIP

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    i could see them continuing it unofficially on a very small scale and not really advertising it.  But you gotta set it up so the monthy is something like 1500-2000 a month in order to make money (on an Escalade).

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I said when they launched this program that it wouldn't work.  It is too expensive to pay $1800 a month to drive a car that you can lease for $600.  Plus people tend to hate changing cars, they get one and stick with it.  

    A subscription plan only works if you pay a monthly fee to have an autonomous car pick you up and take you were you need to go, sort of like unlimited Uber for a monthly flat rate.  People would pay for that to replace having to own a car.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    45 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

    I said when they launched this program that it wouldn't work.  It is too expensive to pay $1800 a month to drive a car that you can lease for $600.  Plus people tend to hate changing cars, they get one and stick with it.  

    A subscription plan only works if you pay a monthly fee to have an autonomous car pick you up and take you were you need to go, sort of like unlimited Uber for a monthly flat rate.  People would pay for that to replace having to own a car.

    I expect all the other subscription programs to fail too.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    The Idea might succeed IF the entire business model was subscription-only.  Usually that means either a new car company OR a new division within an existing one.  Once you have fully automated self-driving cars prove themselves, then this model can work.  Just not right now.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    16 hours ago, smk4565 said:

    I said when they launched this program that it wouldn't work.  It is too expensive to pay $1800 a month to drive a car that you can lease for $600.  Plus people tend to hate changing cars, they get one and stick with it.  

    A subscription plan only works if you pay a monthly fee to have an autonomous car pick you up and take you were you need to go, sort of like unlimited Uber for a monthly flat rate.  People would pay for that to replace having to own a car.

    Though at that price makes sense to use a limo driver....

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites



    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
    Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




  • Support Real Automotive Journalism

    Cheers and Gears Logo

    Since 2001, Cheers & Gears has delivered real content and honest opinions — not emotionless AI output or manufacturer-filtered fluff.

    If you value independent voices and authentic reviews, consider subscribing. Plans start at just $2.25/month, and paid members enjoy an ad-light experience.*

    You can view subscription options here.

    *a very limited number of ads contain special coupon deals for our members and will show

  • Similar Content

  • Posts

    • Very cool Tech of how a plant can help make the world a better place.   This we need to stop as Idiot47 has been supporting this company. Fascist in more ways than one. Police camera system tracking billions of license plates causes some pushback | Watch
    • First, the rental companies should be telling you the recommended app if needed. Second, especially for europe, google maps has tied in with the charging companies to tell you where and what the statis is on charging, much the same that Google, EA, Chargepoing and EVgo has done here. The other thing you can inquire about is that much like the toll roads on the east coast where you can pay a fee to use one that is added to the auto rental so you just drive through the good to go lanes, from what I am seeing online, there are at some places the same kind of thing. Prepay for charging. But inquire of the rental company in the location you are at. Lots of good online info for when you visit a country. Routes for electric car travel in Spain | sustainability.spain.info Use an app like this to find charging stations in another country. Place to Plug | Charging points map in Spain Using Spain as an example since I was there most recently in Madrid for work and renting an EV and charging was not a problem.   This makes allot of sense. Concern Trump may try to flee the US in 2028 | Opinion OUCH, Tariff Turd47 is an idiot in not understanding the the Global world we live in and not understanding technology. Stuck in the past. German automakers get knocked down by U.S. tariffs
    • Vertical and blocky...needs quarter windows to break up those huge C-pillars, IMO...
    • As you know, when you go to rent cars, they are giving the electric ones to customers at a lower price. This brings me to some rentals in the prospective year that are offering the same kind of price structure.  The electric ones are much more nicely priced. If going to a place like Italy, Spain and Portugal, how would I get a comprehensive list of charging stations ... basically a locator? How would I ensure that they are the baseline station ... meaning one that the more basic econobox brands can charge up at?  Lastly, I don't have debit cards or those linked banking payment systems they have over there.  How do I find out if I need an app or if I can just pay with a credit card at at the site? Reddit is really messy and about three quarters of it is mud flinging garbage, but one person said not to get an electric car when in a less developed area while on vacation so that you don't encounter that stressor.  What do you think about that? If I could get some brief direction on this, I'd appreciate it.
  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
  • My Clubs

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search