At the all-digital CES 2021, General Motors’ Mary Barra gave one of the highest profile keynotes, providing an impressive array of the company’s commitment to new and sustainable mobility technology, with a focus on electrification. Among the most significant announcements was the launch of new commercial electric vehicles (EVs) and business called BrightDrop (https://bit.ly/3qoa7PP) and a glimpse at some future product. The plan for Cadillac’s electric future and luxury user experience was prominently featured.
Barra’s address included a sneak peek at the upcoming fully electric Celestiq ultra-luxury car it is planning as a range-topping sedan, embodying Cadillac’s commitment to “re-imagine what’s possible in design and technology.” The car’s foundation is the modular Ultium battery platform, which enabled flexibility for the design and engineering teams. The result is a return to stunning Cadillacs with a dramatic presence.
“The architecture of the Ultium platform carved out new space and gave us the freedom to integrate more technology,” said Crystal Windham, Director of Interior Design, Cadillac. “The result is a dramatic presence with the low profile and rear-wheel proportions. Each vehicle offers a curated selection of materials, which are crafted by hand for the ultimate luxury experience.”
The vehicle will feature all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, and a full-glass roof.
“That roof will be our first to feature four quadrant, suspended-particle-device, smart glass, allowing each occupant of the vehicle to set their own level of transparency, while the tint of the glass colors to match the ambience and the mood of the interior,” said Windham. “That equal and individual experience for each occupant will be a signature aspect of the Cadillac Celestiq.”
The driver and front passenger will sit behind a pillar-to-pillar free-form display with active privacy to reduce driver distraction, while rear-seat passengers have personalized entertainment screens. Console screens between seats in the front and back will separate individualized comfort settings from entertainment displays to minimize distractions.
“Cadillac’s Celestiq represents the artful integration of technology to re-imagine what it means to be a passenger,” added Windham. “We can’t wait to reveal more soon.”
Future Halo portfolio
While potential Celestiq customers will have to wait a bit longer for more detail, Cadillac intends to continue its “design trajectory, delivering experiences that reflect the possibilities and the probabilities of future transportation,” according to Michael Simcoe, GM’s Vice President of Design. During the CES 2021 keynote, he introduced two even more future-oriented Cadillac design concepts in simulated form.
The roboshuttle-like Cadillac Personal Autonomous Vehicle (PAV) is intended to provide a “bespoke” luxurious experience in a mobile living room configured for maximum comfort and enhanced customer experience.
The PAV “provides a social space for a group of friends or family to spend time together on their way to a destination,” said Simcoe. “The vertical light signature is choreographed to greet and draw passengers inside. The expansive glass roof keeps the group connected to the outside but encourages eyes to turn inside to focus on one another and personal well-being. Biometric sensors read passengers vital signs to adjust temperature, humidity, lighting, ambient noise, and even aromatics for optimal comfort. While voice control and hand-gesture recognition make adjusting the interior effortless. It’s a space to sit back relaxing and arriving in style.”
The other companion concept he introduced during the keynote was the single-seat Cadillac vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) personal drone—GM’s first foray into aerial mobility. He said that the company is preparing for a world where advances in electric and autonomous technology make personal air travel possible.
“It is a concept designed for the moment when time is of essence and convenience is everything,” said Simcoe. “You’ve been at the office and now you need to get to a meeting across town. The VTOL meets you on the roof and drops you at the vertiport closest to your destination.”
It uses a 90-kW·h EV motor to power four rotors as well as air-to-air and air-to-ground communications, traveling from rooftop to rooftop at speeds up to 56 mph (90 km/h) over congested urban environments.
“As a passenger, it represents personal space and a panoramic view of the world passing beneath you, and is a glimpse of what autonomy and Cadillac luxury might look like in the not too distant future,” he said.
In closing, Simcoe teased: “we have other concepts coming, including a luxurious two-seater designed for you and someone very special to decompress, relax, and enjoy a multi-sensory experience choreographed for more intimate journeys.”
Partnering for a luxurious user experience
Providing the ultimate luxury user experience is a primary goal for future vehicles coming from Cadillac and its designers and engineers. At CES 2021, the brand showcased how it is trying to push the boundaries of the in-vehicle user experience to new levels.
Early in its new vehicle-development process, the Cadillac team is inviting innovative companies from outside the automotive industry—including Territory Studio and Rightpoint, a Genpact company—to help re-imagine the brand’s user interface and vehicle displays.
“In designing the user interface for Cadillac, we started with a vision but recognized that we were going to need a fresh perspective and new ways of thinking to turn it into a reality,” said Bill Thompson, GM Senior Manager, User Interface Design. “That’s where Rightpoint and Territory Studio came into the picture. Both teams are incredibly talented and brought a new perspective that enabled us to design a personalized and elegant user-focused experience.”
Territory Studio has expertise in narrative design for film, games, and brands.
“Our deep expertise in 2D and 3D real-time graphics allows seamless access to all on-board technologies in safe and precise ways, transforming the in-car experience as connectivity becomes a central part of the experience,” said Marti Romances, Co-founder and Creative Director, Territory Studio.
Rightpoint has roots in strategy, design, and technology.
“We had an opportunity to re-imagine the user experience of the Cadillac brand and redefine what luxury is in a digitally enabled world,” said Gabriel Bridger, Executive Creative Director, Rightpoint. “It started with a simple question: Why can’t things work better? With that as our mantra, we created an experience that at once feels intuitive, as well as entirely fresh.”
Putting the user experience in production
The recently unveiled Lyriq show car herald’s the new direction Cadillac. The first all-electric SUV is meant to highlight a new spirit of brand innovation and showcase the technologies and experiences consumers will see and feel in future Cadillac EVs.
“We took advantage of the quiet that comes with the Ultium-powered EVs to curate an entirely new sensory experience,” said Candice Willett, Advanced Lead Creative Designer, Cadillac. “And the inspiration of VIP’s electrical bandwidth to re-imagine what it means to always be connected to your vehicle.”
Ultium is GM’s EV battery and platform brand and VIP stands for Vehicle Intelligent Platform, its global B electrical vehicle system. The latter enables the elaborate greeting of a driver as he or she approaches the Lyriq, “a choreography of light that draws you inside and makes it very intimately your vehicle,” said Willett. “Recognizing its driver, the Lyric prepares the cabin for the journey and continues that rhythm of light from the exterior to the interior.”
Her role at GM is lead designer for choreographed experiences in addition to Cadillac lighting: “That role did not exist before electrification gave vehicle design the opportunity to rethink our relationship with our vehicles. Now it signals a new future for the interaction of technology and the senses.”
Lyriq designers are envisioning driver and passenger interaction with Lyriq technologies to be more intuitive and rewarding. After the vehicle recognizes the driver and initiates a “greeting” with a choreographed lighting sequence, the cabin is also prepared with seat, mirror, and climate system adjustments.
Lyriq front-seat occupants are treated to a wide 33-in LED display that incorporates driver information details, infotainment controls, and camera views. This display is said to have the highest pixel density available and can display over one billion colors, 64 times more than any other vehicle in automotive industry. It is supplemented by “two-plane” augmented-reality-enhanced headup display: a near plane indicating speed, direction, and other primary data, and a far plane displaying transparent navigation signals and other important alerts.
As with the GMC Hummer EV, Cadillac will also leverage Epic Games‘ Unreal Engine, in the Lyric’s case to bring display information to life in an engaging 3D perspective.
“That layering of technology continues into the dual-plane, augmented reality headup display that incorporates navigation directly into your field of view,” said Willet. “And combined with our next generation Super Cruise driver-assistance technology helps provide confidence in control.”
Lyriq previews Cadillac innovations
Cadillac’s introduction of its electric portfolio began in August with the debut of the Lyriq luxury crossover concept. The brand hopes the vehicle’s propulsion system and supporting technologies will position Cadillac to be a leader in electrification, connectivity, and automated driving.
“Led by Lyriq, Cadillac will redefine American luxury over the next decade with a new portfolio of transformative EVs,” said Steve Carlisle, Executive Vice President and President, GM North America.
The Lyriq is based on GM’s next-generation, modular electric vehicle platform and driven by the Ultium propulsion system designed to offer more than 300 mi (482 km) of range on a charge. DC fast charging rates are promised at over 150 kW, with Level 2 charging rates up to 19 kW.
The vehicle will feature rear-wheel and performance all-wheel-drive configurations, with a 100-kW·h Ultium battery system to deliver “stirring performance.”
“Lyriq was conceived to make every journey exhilarating and leverages more than a century of innovation to drive the brand into a new era, while rewarding passengers with a more personal, connected and immersive experience,” said Jamie Brewer, Cadillac Lyriq Chief Engineer. “To do this we developed an architecture specifically for EVs.”
The Ultium’s NCMA (nickel-cobalt-manganese-aluminum) chemistry has aluminum in its cathodes to help reduce the need for rare-earth materials such as cobalt. Engineers reduced the cobalt content by more than 70% compared to current GM batteries.
Large, flat pouch cells enable smart battery module construction to reduce complexity and simplify cooling needs. Battery electronics are incorporated directly into the modules, eliminating nearly 90% of the battery pack wiring compared to GM’s current electric vehicles.
The crossover builds on the brand’s exclusive partnership with Harman‘s AKG to deliver a sound experience that transports occupants “from a vehicle into a recording studio,” said Hussein Khalil, Cadillac Lead Audio Design Release Engineer, offering a 19-speaker AKG Studio system.
On the advanced driver assistance front, the Lyriq will have the latest version of Super Cruise, the hands-free driver-assistance feature, including automated lane change. Supervised remote parking using ultrasonic sensors will enable self-parking, in parallel or perpendicular parking spaces, whether the driver is inside or outside of the vehicle.
New face of Cadillac coming in 2022
Cadillac intends for its first electric SUV to make a bold design statement, introducing a new face, proportion, and presence for the brand’s new generation of EVs in the first half of 2022.
“The LYRIQ represents the next iteration of the iconic brand’s styling, enabled by electrification, as only Cadillac can express,” said Andrew Smith, Executive Director, Global Cadillac Design.
Defined by taut lines and clean surfaces, the Lyriq is meant to be assertive and modern, characterized with a low, fast roofline and wide stance that emphasizes agility. The distinctive “grille” in front is one of the vehicles most unique design elements. It is part of the dramatic lighting choreography that—along with bold vertical, slim LED signature lighting—greets the owner upon approach. At the rear, a split taillamp design incorporates slim LEDs that are also integrated into the lighting choreography.
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