G. David Felt

Yes, they have for this year maxed out capacity, increasing capacity like all auto makers are for next year. January shutdown will allow them to make some assembly line changes and get other things ready for a doubling of production. Good news for the U.S. as Kia and Hyundai also next year move production of their EVs to the U.S. I understand your work truck, truck thinking, but due to Rivian being a smart marketing company, they hit the term Lifestyle truck and now when you look at various advertising forms, that is a very popular term for all trucks that are not actually bought and used by a commercial company in the work field. Cost, Options and especially now the woman who are buying more trucks than guys, Lifestyle truck is the modern marketing term now. I stand by my thinking that a Denali, AT4, etc. trims are far more a lifestyle choice by the buyers than a truck to be a truck, used as a commercial truck in a dirty muddy work site truck.

Yes as I posted, standard Escalade is 211 inches long, CELESTIQ is 216 inches long. Escalade ESV is 229.6 inches long. CELESTIQ will fit in between the two options of Escalade.

Let me fix this for you, Free HATE speech Twitter ownership thing. I give Twitter 24 months before it closes down due to Musk. Musk needs to be fired from his CEO duties of Tesla, he is clearly way too focused on Fake news, Conspiracy Theories and his own Narcissistic needs to LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME to properly run an auto company.

Yet Tesla is already having to discount as sales have dropped off the cliff and they are now into pretty fast delivery times. These are the Tesla wait times for every model | Tom's Guide (tomsguide.com) Want a Model Y or 3, depending on the choices you pick in building your EV, you can get it from a week later to sometime in December. Clearly having discounts, bringing back the Tesla Loyalty Ownership program, Tesla is no long the EV auto to wait for as better options are hitting the market. You actually have to wait if you want a Kia or Hyundai EV. Imagin that.

Are you sure you are not sick again with Covid? This has the looks? A weird hood / light design with a Carp like air inlet. This is anything but good styling, even the wheel wells from front to back look off and just not good. This is a weird butt ugly car. That is OK, Usually the harder they try to sell this will never happen, the more truthful it is that it will happen. GM as well as other auto companies seem to have always followed this messaging to protect current existing product, but usually it has become tru.

FYI - My Cadillac dealership is almost done with the new building as they tore down the old 1950's Cadillac,Buick,Oldmobile,GMC dealership as it still had sandblasted windows with all 4 logos. I wonder if anyone thought to save the glass, probably not, but a modern Showroom will be open on November 17th for a by invitation only grand opening and they will have a couple LYRIQs on the show room for people to check out and more from GM according to my invite. I have already RSVP's for the wife and I. Yes, I am going mainly to try my large frame in the LYRIQ and see if I can fit in the back also with the front seat set for me. Will take pictures. It is much farther along than this from during the summer.

But it should since Mercedes is saying the same thing about 3D printing that they say they have used for the last 30 years which I find weird and hard to understand since 3D printing has not been around that long, but according to them it has and they have been using it all along. Mercedes-Benz replacement parts from the 3D printer. Mercedez-Benz restarts classic cars with 3D printed parts - 3D Printing Industry Mercedes-Benz Turns to 3D Printing for Plastic Spare Parts | Additive Manufacturing Mercedes Vision EQXX features directly and indirectly 3D printed parts (3dprintingmedia.network) Mercedes-Benz Trucks Rolls Out First Metal 3D Printed Part: An Aluminum Thermostat Cover for Older Truck Series - 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing Daimler Buses implements 3D printing to produce bespoke Mercedes-Benz parts - 3D Printing Industry So how do you justify it not being a cool or important thing in auto building when Daimler / Mercedes-Benz says they have been doing it anywhere from 30 years ago to 10 years ago using it on trucks and buses?

? Really, you used to compare the S-Class to these as well as you have mentioned in the early days before the EQS actually started to ship that it would be in this class, now because Mercedes does not have anything to compete, you try to play it down. Just accept that Cadillac is getting here first ahead of Mercedes. END OF LINE!

Ran some errands today and saw a number of interesting sites. Like New Chevrolet GEO that has a Classic Auto license plate. Built from 1989 to 1997, Amazing that someone kept it in such good shape for the old guy driving it and he had it licensed under the classic auto licenses. Oldsmobile Aurora, still running, but wish I could have grabbed a picture, back end and front end held together with black duct tape. RIP CT6 V, saw it ahead of me, my wife recognized the V on the rear of the CT6. Rare auto indeed.

Very cool, 7 pages of cars, interesting that American Muscle is cheaper than European or Asian autos. Toy Cars – Drive What You Love | Vehicles | LEGO.com | Official LEGO® Shop US

I like all the new Lego sets, interesting is the love hate debate over the new Lego Logo and box design. Guess some are really hung up on the past and see no reason to modernize or change. Crazy. ? Wonder how long before they get the EVs done as Lego Sets, would be cool to have the Cadillac LYRIQ, CELESTIQ and ESCALADE in a Lego.

If someone actually looked at the Cadillac website you would have seen in the specifications that the Escalade ESV is 229.6 inches long, Escalade standard is 211 inches long and CELESTIQ is 216 inches long. Yes, it is sized to the Escalade, but not the ESV version.

I have been reading the various reviews of the LYRIQ and they are pretty much positive and spot on for what Cadillac has built. Yes a few nitpick issues here and there depending on review, but over all very positive. 2023 Cadillac Lyriq review & testdrive (autoevolution.com)

Yes Toyota has more cash, but they also burned through 12%+ in one year showing money does not mean forever. At that burn rate, they will reduce cash on hand by half in 3 years and be on par with GM in 5 years when they are finally on an 800V mega Cast platform and by 2025 GM has planned to be producing 1 million plus EVs a year here in the US and the same in China. Compared to GM Every interview shows that GM is very serious about becoming #1 in Luxury and EV Sales. GM bets on electric Equinox to kick-start 'massive adoption' of EVs (cnbc.com)

Agree to disagree then as Europe has set a line in the sand for EV sales as has China. Due to the parts shortages and inflation due to idiot decisions in DC in the past decade, we have people who struggle and people who do not. Humanity is nothing but predictable in certain ways and autos have become an appliance for most who do not want to deal with oil, gas, maintenance, etc. As such, there is a reason EVs have taken off in bigger numbers where a larger assortment of options is available. I believe this will happen here too once the planned models come out in the next couple of years. Batteries will always get upgraded, same with software and electric motors. The ability to have a proper platform in place to grow off of is what will hold Toyota back compared to GM. GM is now with Mega Casting and a pure 800V platform. Toyota does not have this and is looking at 3 to 5 years to get there. That is a big deficit to overcome. Tesla MIGHT still be a leader in a couple years, but I would not bet on it as long as they have idiot Musk doing the stupid things he is doing. CEO Leadership is missing at Tesla IMHO compared to GM. Toyota has money now but could end up hurting like other auto companies due to stupid decisions and the whole lose face thing. You know GM is not looking at selling 5,000 trucks only nor is Ford. They are both looking at selling millions and are aiming to make a full business of EVs for all product size in Trucks, SUVs and Cars. Market will dictate for sure.

Interesting pics of a possible RAM EV Pickup test mule. Ram EV Pickup Mule Spied Undergoing Testing (gmauthority.com)

Forgotten Tech - I know many that are aware of the EV1 was a flop, but GM actually had some good tech here that they failed to capitalize on. I feel the VOLT and its PowerTrain was also in this camp as I think GM would have done well using the Volt 2.0 powertrain in a CUV. I also was always amazed by the history of Cadillac and the fact that Alanson Partridge Brush who has the patents on VTEC way before Honda and Alfa started using the moniker that they had superior engines. According to history notes, Cadillac rolled out the first engine in 1903 that had VVT or Variable Valve Timing. Guilty Pleasures - Not everyone will agree with me, but there were some cars that rocked being driven hard with the GM QUAD 4 motor. That engine rocked and a large number of them were bored out and turbocharged to crazy horsepower numbers. I remember one such drag auto that produced 1200 hp on the strip and truly shocked the V8 crowd. If you drove it, it was an amazing peppy small engine. Olds rocked it and it is what I consider the last of great Olds Tech that the division created.

Will be interesting to see what the first Buick SUV EV will be and at least GM has committed to keeping ICE Corvettes built as long as there are sales to justify them as they also start building EV versions. I know some will be mad at Corvette Sedan and SUV, but I have to say that I think this will just expand the Corvette Family of ownership as I tend to believe that there are many out there that want Corvette performance but, in a family, packaged auto.

Very interesting, Tesla has lost their EV crown to BYD in China. Other interesting things in this video too. Interesting comparison as some auto companies say that chip availability will be back to normal by the end of 2023 making 2024 a much better year for auto sales. Yet other auto companies are saying the chip shortage is here to stay through 2025 or 2026 as companies avoid items built in China and move forward with local produced chips that will come online in the U.S. or Europe between end of 2024 and 2026. They did a good job covering the CELESTIQ Mega Casting and why GM is going this route of 6 Mega Castings versus 3 like Tesla. Finner adjustments and repairs it would seem according to GM. Each Mega Casting reduces from 30 to 50 stamped parts that are assembled for 1 single mega cast. That means 6 mega cast parts replace 180 to 300 stamped parts. That will be much more tight quality. Very interesting watch. This was yesterdays video where they covered the massive GM profit they had for the quarter of $15 billion. Also, pretty much confirmation that an EV Corvette and EV Corvette SUV will be built and out in 2026. I have to totally agree with this story as it is also based on the above Autoline Daily story that is from internal sources at GM. Electric Corvette SUV Reportedly Due 2026 (autoevolution.com) Autoline Network, citing AutoForecast Solutions, adds fuel to the fire. “The Corvette EV will go into production in May 2026, less than four years from now.” The Grand River plant in Lansing, not the Bowling Green plant in Kentucky, will reportedly handle production. The cited publication also understands that General Motors will build an electric Buick SUV and an electric Cadillac sedan there, which seems feasible. Lansing Grand River is currently making the Chevrolet Camaro, Cadillac CT4, and CT5 on the Alpha platform. All three and the Alpha are due to be discontinued soon.

Normally I would have to agree with you if EVs was not in the equation as Toyota has perfected the Lean Manufacturing process that America was late to embrace as well as Europe. Yet as the whole reason for this post was that Toyota is having to reboot. The whole honor do not lose face is what has led Toyota to this mess right now as they embraced Hydrogen which will never happen, I believe in the personal auto space. The rubber stamp upper management failed the Executives in not pointing out what Tesla was doing now rather than basing it on a decade old interaction with Tesla. This misstep is not a kiss of death, but this can very well lead a company to fall from the top #1 space as they play catch up and the executives are now battling between the oldest ones that feel what they have is still the way to go and the younger ones that have setup this group that is looking at changing the way things are done. If Toyota takes 3 to 5 years to get a Mega Cast pure EV platform in place, GM, Kia, Hyundia, Ford and VW will kill them as they all have Mega Cast platforms up and running now as they move to get multiple products out by 2025. We are at the end of 2022 and they are supposed to release a report at the start of 2023, approvals and politics inside Toyota will take place and at the earliest, I can see them start on the new Mega Cast platform starting late 2023 or early 2024, so if just 3 years, that puts Toyota on track for a profitable Mega cast platform in production in 2027, 2 years behind many others that will have multiple products out.

Two ways to look at this, First is higher insurance as your right, more common than not, an auto will be scrapped if in an accident beyond minor visual damage. Flip side is that if they are built like Tesla, 3 Mega Castings, if the damage is just to the front or back, it might make a bigger salvage business as people who like projects I can see buying up, replacing the core Mega Cast section and rebuild the auto to get it back to functional. Interesting times for sure and I am glad to hear that the Germans are paying attention to Tesla, but to what extent as I would have expected Mercedes to then have mega casting by default at 800 V when they started their EQ portfolio rather than now having to upgrade. Interesting times for sure.

@ccap41 interesting thinking on this about Toyota, this fits Mercedes very well as their electric platform they are using is a 400V, not the 800 V platform that others are using and no Mega Casting as it was designed to be built on the same assembly lines as the ICE autos. I think Mercedes will have a hard time once they sell to the badge snobs in getting conquest sales when they are more expensive for nothing more special than their badge. I do think Toyota is listening and watching and realizes that they have to do a major revolution change, not an evolution change. Mercedes, I am not so sure is paying attention like Toyota and while they talk about their next generation EV platform out in 2025, I wonder if it will take into account Mega Casting and efficiency or lean manufacturing. The unions have hit hard about not losing jobs. Yet Tesla makes their EVs with far less hands than just about anyone right now.

I will agree in a limited scope on Hydrogen and this is why, Energy, still takes 10 times more energy to produce a gallon of Hydrogen making it an unsustainable energy source especially for small form factor like autos. The next issue is as follows, molecular size of H2. It is the smallest possible stable molecule, hence the ability for it to escape through even the smallest of tiniest gaps in storage devices and this does not take into account the natural leakage that over time leak out through all the various materials used to store it and transport it to be burnt in an engine. The higher the pressure, the more that leaks out. The next problem is the cost of the one metal that is able to keep most of the hydrogen where it needs to be and efficiently use hydrogen as a fuel source. Platinum, this is why the Toyota, Honda and GM Hydrogen autos were all lease as the amount of platinum in those auto's made them more expensive than what they had to be sold at. Another issue is due to the explosive nature on top of leakage, transporting Hydrogen in bulk is not feasible, as to why the few Hydrogen fueling stations had big expensive equipment on site to make the hydrogen as it was needed to fuel. Now that we have covered why Hydrogen autos will not happen, let's take a look at where it MIGHT work. Trains Semi class 8 trucks Planes Why these three items one might ask, easy they are the least fuel-efficient engines, but they move massive amount of people and especially products and usually it is from consistent ports to warehouses, major distribution points. As such, you could have trains and long-distance Class 8 trucks that could be electric propelled, but Hydrogen generator electricity supplied. Planes is another place due to how Hydrogen helps with lifting the heavy plane and freight and having an engine that would burn Hydrogen producing water and oxygen out the exhaust up high would actually help the climate and seed clouds with water vapor. Boeing, Lockheed, Airbus, BAE are all working on planes with Hydrogen engines. This is actually a well-done page on Hydrogen powered planes. Hydrogen-powered aircraft - Wikipedia Trains are in the news too. Coradia iLint: The world's first hydrogen passenger trains | CNN Travel Since 2017, we have had much research done into Hydrogen powered Class 8 trucks. Still, none are in mass production as they are still testing in limited use cases. Kenworth To Build Class 8 Hydrogen Fuel Cell and CNG-Electric Hybrid Drayage Trucks - Trucks.com Cummins, Navistar to develop hydrogen fuel cell-powered Class 8 truck (fleetequipmentmag.com) Toyota's fuel cell-powered Class 8 truck is going into service in LA - CNET Hyzon Class 8 Freightliner | Zero Emission, Hydrogen-Powered Vehicle - Hyzon Motors | SAE actually has defined specs now on Hydrogen Class 8 Trucks. Hydrogen technology commercial trucks (sae.org) Hope you can understand my point on why hydrogen autos for personal use will never happen, but in commercial space it has a place.

Seems Hyundai is very serious about raking in EV subsidies and sales as they move production of EVs here to the U.S. in 2023 and now this about battery production. Hyundai breaks ground on $5.5 bln U.S. EV, battery plant | Reuters Hyundai says new U.S. EV plant could begin production in 2024, produce 500,000 vehicles annually | Reuters

Have to say I am very impressed with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 as I parked next to this matt finished EV which was new from the dealership.