Cadillac engineers recently completed the 80 percent validation drive for the 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ electric vehicle (EV). This is a critical milestone in Cadillac’s first luxury electric car’s development, marking a transition to the final stage before production.
This testing confirms that all components and technologies are at or beyond 80 percent. This now allows engineers to focus on fine-tuning the LYRIQ electric car prior to production.
To facilitate a comprehensive evaluation of the LYRIQ’s performance on different road surfaces and in varying traffic conditions, Cadillac developed a curated route that included motorway and urban and rural driving scenarios.
Under these real-world conditions, engineers appraised LYRIQ’s drive quality, systems calibrations and other elements that directly impact the in-car experience. Testing of Cadillac’s first electric car can be seen in the video below:
Jamie Brewer, Cadillac executive chief engineer, said: “We have spent countless hours behind the wheel of our LYRIQ test fleet and in virtual testing environments to be sure we deliver our customers a comprehensive luxury experience expressed in an all-new electrified package.
“All the while we are remaining true to our brand promise by placing high priority on meticulous craftsmanship and intuitive integrated technologies.”
The 80 percent drive resulted in performance evaluations of key LYRIQ driver-control and sensory elements, including a new interior audio signature developed to foster occupant comfort and confidence.
Brewer added: “We’re now fine-tuning LYRIQ’s touchpoints. We’re making tweaks to a variety of areas as we do after every development drive, but we’re nearly there. Customers will love this driving experience and, we feel that it will redefine their expectations for electric luxury vehicles.”
An accelerated launch schedule for LYRIQ, driven in part by advances in virtual development and the supporting parallel processes, took the team as far away as New Zealand for test drives.
Cold-weather testing was conducted there in August to take advantage of the Southern Hemisphere’s winter. This eliminated the need to wait for the season’s onset in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Ultium electric platform, which has been developed by General Motors, is the central structural element of LYRIQ’s chassis. It delivers a low centre of gravity, offers exceptional chassis stiffness and nearly 50/50 front-to-rear weight balance. These factors give engineers unprecedented chassis-tuning flexibility to dial in precision handling.
Todd Bruder, Cadillac lead development engineer, said: “LYRIQ has exceptional torsional stiffness. As a result, we were able to dial in exceptional responsiveness in the steering and suspension systems while simultaneously elevating the brand’s signature feeling of comfort to an entirely new plateau.”
Technologies such as a five-link front and rear suspension and frequency-dependent dampers help optimise LYRIQ’s ride quality and responsiveness.
The five-link front suspension allowed engineers to tune the suspension bushings independently, enhancing ride quality while improving handling.
The frequency-dependent dampers, standard on LYRIQ at launch, differentiate between smaller impacts and larger swells on the road surface. This gives drivers more precise control in variable road conditions and provides greater comfort on smoother surfaces.
Production for the 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ begins in spring 2022 at GM’s Spring Hill, Tennessee, assembly facility, which received a $2 billion investment to support EV production. An additional $2.3 billion is being invested in an all-new battery cell manufacturing plant at Spring Hill.
At launch, LYRIQ will be offered in the exclusive well-equipped Debut Edition, available with advanced technologies and stirring performance enabled by its dedicated electric architecture.
A 12-module, 100.4-kilowatt-hour battery pack and a rear-wheel Utium Drive unit deliver a GM estimated 340 horsepower and 440Nm of torque and a GM-estimated range of 300 miles (483km) on a full charge.
LYRIQ also offers high-speed DC fast charging up to 190kW, enabling customers to add up to 76 miles (122km)of range in about 10 minutes. When charging at home, LYRIQ can replenish its battery at the fastest speeds currently allowed by industry standards when equipped with a Level 2, 19 kW charge module that allows for up to 52 miles (84km) of range per charging hour.
