The New Billionaire Doors
What happens when future tech matches brand values 🤝
Welcome back to The Big Switch from Lafayette American and hello to all the new subscribers (aka all of you)!
Not subscribed?
In this edition:
Ben Bator explores the simple, finer things in EV engineering.
A round-up of interesting news at the bottom.
Let’s talk about two cars that will never see a broken Electrify America charger.
This week, Cadillac and Rolls-Royce both unveiled flagships this week for those unshackled by range and economic anxiety.
The Cadillac Celestiq is the long-awaited return to hyper-luxury from Cadillac. A $300,000, hand-built fastback with four seats that look like they each cost $100,000. So in a way, it’s a deal.
The Rolls-Royce Spectre is exactly what you’d expect. Starting at $413,000, this “Ultra-Luxury Electric Super Coupé” loses two doors compared to the Cadillac, weighs more than a Ford F-150 Lightning, and has 4,796 “softly illuminated” stars in the doors.
Both are perfect representations of their brands and perfect luxury vehicles.
A perfect luxury vehicle should add nothing unpleasant to the experience of getting around. It should only be about coddling occupants with the utmost of care, and only adding pleasant smells, sounds, and sights to combat the largely-unpleasant outside world.
I’d bet a (very) small fortune both the Cadillac and the Rolls will nail this and then some. Both quietly boast hyper-engineered suspension systems, interiors with the finest materials, sound-deadening on top of sound-deadening — you name it.
The drivetrains and charging architecture are the least interesting thing about both vehicles. They both have “adequate” power. They both have ranges of 300 miles or less. They’ll start every journey fully charged. They’ll never be launched at a red light. They’ll never be used to power a home in an outage.
Anything more is a distraction from their mission of simply being great. No Easter eggs or Spaceballs references here. Both the Celestiq and Spectre purely buy into the benefits of battery packs and direct-drive motors without gimmick or diversion.
And that’s why I feel these cars have been received so well by both those who can afford them and those who hope to catch a glimpse at a valet stand someday.
That, and the 4,796 stars in the doors.
Links:
Teslas Flooded During Hurricane Ian Are Spontaneously Igniting in its Aftermath— Road & Track
"Anytime you mix electrical components and salt water together, it is a recipe for disaster"
GMC Hummer EV Taillights Cost $6100 to Replace — Car & Driver
Replacing a set including taxes and labor could be over $7000, depending on your state and dealership.
Dodge Charger Daytona SRT EV Concept And Delorean Alpha5 Caught On Set Of Fast & Furious 10 Film — Carscoops
“Jesse, don’t do it. I bet ya he’s got more than 100 grand in the battery pack of that car…”
Miners using electric vehicles can significantly reduce the heat and carbon exposure they typically experience with diesel-powered equipment. Furthermore, EV mining technology can cost less as it requires less ventilation and cooling.
Fully Electric Vehicles Reached ~6% Of Auto Sales In USA In 3rd Quarter — Clean Technica
With more than 100,000 units in combined sales, Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y are two of the best selling vehicles — of any kind — in the United States.
Watch:
Polestar 3 First Look The Late Brake Show
Does the Tesla Semi Make Any Sense? Engineering Explained
That’s all for now.
If there’s something we missed, or if you want to tell Ben he’s too sympathetic to billionaire car buyers: bigswitch@lafayetteamerican.com
GM could sell Cadillac to their Chinese joint venture partner for enough cash to avoid a second bankruptcy. Not one single luxury car brand has ever been turned around by its original owner since Audi. GM’s board needs to wake up.