Cadillac’s Electric Push Includes the Opulent Velocity Concept

Though General Motors overall has shown some ambivalence about the pace of electric vehicle introductions—first canceling the entry-level Bolt, then reinstating it last year (though for an undisclosed date)—Cadillac is all in.

To prove it, the company is introducing a full range of new plug-in models in top-to-bottom market segments. Luxury is definitely covered. GM sold just over 75,000 electric vehicles last year, up 93% from 2022. The Cadillac electric line currently includes the Lyriq (a luxury-minded SUV that starts at US$57,195); Escalade IQ (a very fancy three-row that, later this year, will start at US$130,000); Celestiq (an ultra-luxurious limited-edition sedan, starting at US$350,000); and Optiq (an entry-level electric SUV for 2025, slotted below the Lyriq), starting around US$45,000. And let’s not forget the forthcoming 2026 Vistiq, a three-row SUV to complement the iQ. No price yet. And did you notice they all end in “IQ”?

Cadillac sold approximately 9,000 Lyriqs in 2023, with 3,800 of them moving in the last quarter. That made the Lyriq the best seller among electric compact luxury SUVs. Admittedly, a few qualifiers there: The Lyriq is also offered in China, and sales there climbed 60% in 2023.

Departing from the IQ convention is a new show car, the Opulent Velocity, which Cadillac has only shown in a teaser photograph and video. In the latter, a blurred image of the car races past. Speculation is that it will be a luxurious sedan like the flamboyantly styled Celestiq, but possibly more conventionally designed and with an emphasis on performance.

The Opulent Velocity concept car is in part a celebration of Cadillac’s V-Series, which presents performance versions of popular models. Recent offerings include the 2025 CT5-V and CT5-V Blackwing. These are brute-force supercharged V8 sedans. The US$96,000 Blackwing version produces 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque, coupled to a (rare these days) six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic.

The 2025 Optiq will be the entry-level electric Cadillac SUV
Cadillac

Phil Dauchy, global head of brand strategy and international marketing at Cadillac, points out that the company’s performance series is now 20 years old.

“The V-Series cars perform at the top of their segments,” Dauchy says, adding that the V-Series nomenclature will remain as the brand goes electric. But the EVs with lots of power are already there. “If you buy a Lyriq Sport all-wheel drive right now you get a car with more than 500 horsepower,” he says.

The electric lineup now is heavy on SUVs, but Dauchy says that Cadillac’s current CT4 and CT5 sedan models are performing very well in the marketplace. “There is a significant piece of the luxury market that is sedans, including in China,” he says. “Cadillac remains dedicated to its sedan lineup.”

The 2026 Vistiq is slotted between the Lyriq and Escalade IQ.
Cadillac

Dauchy declined to say how many people have bought those pricey Celestiqs. “It’s not about the sales numbers, though we have an internal sales goal,” he says. “We intend to produce fewer than we can sell. We want a vehicle that is hard to get. We also want a unique buying experience, with prospective buyers coming out to the Cadillac House in Warren, Michigan and choosing colours and fabrics and working with a concierge.” This bespoke approach has worked well for other luxury brands, from Rolls-Royce to Maserati.

Spokeswoman Stephanie Obendorfer says the concept will not be featured at the New York International Auto Show , which runs through April 7. “We look forward to sharing more details on Opulent Velocity later this year,” Obendorfer says.

Specialised venues—such as the recent Amelia Island and Audrain concours events—are a better fit for showing exclusive cars like Opulent Velocity, Dauchy says.

All of Cadillac’s new models will be electric going forward. Internal-combustion cars will remain in the lineup until the end of the decade. But the pursuit of performance remains. EVs today are the world’s fastest cars off the line, even if they don’t always excel at top speeds. The Celestiq, though its emphasis is on luxury, reaches 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, and its two electric motors produce 600 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque.

As Paris makes its final preparations for the Olympic games, its residents are busy with their own—packing their suitcases, confirming their reservations, and getting out of town.

Worried about the hordes of crowds and overall chaos the Olympics could bring, Parisians are fleeing the city in droves and inundating resort cities around the country. Hotels and holiday rentals in some of France’s most popular vacation destinations—from the French Riviera in the south to the beaches of Normandy in the north—say they are expecting massive crowds this year in advance of the Olympics. The games will run from July 26-Aug. 1.

“It’s already a major holiday season for us, and beyond that, we have the Olympics,” says Stéphane Personeni, general manager of the Lily of the Valley hotel in Saint Tropez. “People began booking early this year.”

Personeni’s hotel typically has no issues filling its rooms each summer—by May of each year, the luxury hotel typically finds itself completely booked out for the months of July and August. But this year, the 53-room hotel began filling up for summer reservations in February.

“We told our regular guests that everything—hotels, apartments, villas—are going to be hard to find this summer,” Personeni says. His neighbours around Saint Tropez say they’re similarly booked up.

As of March, the online marketplace Gens de Confiance (“Trusted People”), saw a 50% increase in reservations from Parisians seeking vacation rentals outside the capital during the Olympics.

Already, August is a popular vacation time for the French. With a minimum of five weeks of vacation mandated by law, many decide to take the entire month off, renting out villas in beachside destinations for longer periods.

But beyond the typical August travel, the Olympics are having a real impact, says Bertille Marchal, a spokesperson for Gens de Confiance.

“We’ve seen nearly three times more reservations for the dates of the Olympics than the following two weeks,” Marchal says. “The increase is definitely linked to the Olympic Games.”

Worried about the hordes of crowds and overall chaos the Olympics could bring, Parisians are fleeing the city in droves and inundating resort cities around the country.
Getty Images

According to the site, the most sought-out vacation destinations are Morbihan and Loire-Atlantique, a seaside region in the northwest; le Var, a coastal area within the southeast of France along the Côte d’Azur; and the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, the Olympics haven’t necessarily been a boon to foreign tourism in the country. Many tourists who might have otherwise come to France are avoiding it this year in favour of other European capitals. In Paris, demand for stays at high-end hotels has collapsed, with bookings down 50% in July compared to last year, according to UMIH Prestige, which represents hotels charging at least €800 ($865) a night for rooms.

Earlier this year, high-end restaurants and concierges said the Olympics might even be an opportunity to score a hard-get-seat at the city’s fine dining.

In the Occitanie region in southwest France, the overall number of reservations this summer hasn’t changed much from last year, says Vincent Gare, president of the regional tourism committee there.

“But looking further at the numbers, we do see an increase in the clientele coming from the Paris region,” Gare told Le Figaro, noting that the increase in reservations has fallen directly on the dates of the Olympic games.

Michel Barré, a retiree living in Paris’s Le Marais neighbourhood, is one of those opting for the beach rather than the opening ceremony. In January, he booked a stay in Normandy for two weeks.

“Even though it’s a major European capital, Paris is still a small city—it’s a massive effort to host all of these events,” Barré says. “The Olympics are going to be a mess.”

More than anything, he just wants some calm after an event-filled summer in Paris, which just before the Olympics experienced the drama of a snap election called by Macron.

“It’s been a hectic summer here,” he says.

Hotels and holiday rentals in some of France’s most popular vacation destinations say they are expecting massive crowds this year in advance of the Olympics.
AFP via Getty Images

Parisians—Barré included—feel that the city, by over-catering to its tourists, is driving out many residents.

Parts of the Seine—usually one of the most popular summertime hangout spots —have been closed off for weeks as the city installs bleachers and Olympics signage. In certain neighbourhoods, residents will need to scan a QR code with police to access their own apartments. And from the Olympics to Sept. 8, Paris is nearly doubling the price of transit tickets from €2.15 to €4 per ride.

The city’s clear willingness to capitalise on its tourists has motivated some residents to do the same. In March, the number of active Airbnb listings in Paris reached an all-time high as hosts rushed to list their apartments. Listings grew 40% from the same time last year, according to the company.

With their regular clients taking off, Parisian restaurants and merchants are complaining that business is down.

“Are there any Parisians left in Paris?” Alaine Fontaine, president of the restaurant industry association, told the radio station Franceinfo on Sunday. “For the last three weeks, there haven’t been any here.”

Still, for all the talk of those leaving, there are plenty who have decided to stick around.

Jay Swanson, an American expat and YouTuber, can’t imagine leaving during the Olympics—he secured his tickets to see ping pong and volleyball last year. He’s also less concerned about the crowds and road closures than others, having just put together a series of videos explaining how to navigate Paris during the games.

“It’s been 100 years since the Games came to Paris; when else will we get a chance to host the world like this?” Swanson says. “So many Parisians are leaving and tourism is down, so not only will it be quiet but the only people left will be here for a party.”