Electric Caddies for GMSV push?

General Motors’ electric strategy affects every brand, so what possibility GMSV could provide a conduit for the NZ market?

Lyriq kicks off the Cadillac electric push … and other models are close behind

HOW would you feel if the new General Motors Special Vehicles’ operation, in addition to selling NZ market-prepped Chevrolet Silverado pick-ups and Corvettes, also started supplying electric Cadillacs?

Conceivably, that it could happen. Insomuch as, when asked about this very scenario, the reply from the retail organisation that fills in the gap left by Holden Special Vehicles departing the scene was … well, intriguing. 

Here’s a hard fact: No maker is resisting the shift away from fossil fuels and toward battery-compelled products, Cadillac included. General Motors’ high-end marque figures in a GM commitment to having 30 electric vehicles by 2025, including 10 for availability outside of North America. One of those is Cadillac’s first battery-compelled car, the Lyriq crossover, due out in the US next year. 

Bear in mind this, also. Even though GM determined in mid-February to leave all right-hand-drive markets – a decision that finished off Holden – it remains in that game. 

The C8 Corvette coming in 2021 is factory-built in that format (it was basically production-ready when GM announced its exit strategy) and GMSV will distribute it. It is also continuing availability of Silverado pickups locally converted to right-hand drive – a business previously handled by Holden Special vehicles.  

And there’s this: Media speculation – never outright denied by GMSV – is that if it is to add more US-sourced models for Australasia, they will be Cadillacs.

Cadillac is now in the EV business. Its first battery model, the Lyriq crossover, is on sale in 2022 and the Celestiq, a fastbacked large luxury car, and a full-size SUV are also confirmed. There’s also been talk of a sports car.

Some of America’s Cadillac dealers are declining electric plug ‘n play.

Tasty? There’s no confirmation of any of these every selling outside of North America, but it’s worth keeping in mind that EVs are a relative cinch to transform from left to right hand drive because … well, no pesky engine under the bonnet to work around. 

So with all that, it seemed relevant to ask GMSV whether those potential products might include electric vehicles. 

The response? “We will continue to examine opportunities to bring vehicles to Australia and New Zealand that we believe can compete strongly in their segments, but we don’t have anything to announce at the moment.” 

Not everyone in Cadillac support club likes the idea of a mains electricty-refreshed future. Subsequent to the Lyriq being unveiled in August, around 150 of the marque’s 880 domestic US dealers have decided they’d rather take buyouts from GM than make upgrades required to sell electric vehicles. The estimated spend to include charging stations, training of employees and lifts that can carry EV batteries comes to around $NZ284,000 per dealership.

The cost to prepare at retail level is but a fraction of what GM intends to spend over the next few years; in November it made clear that targets established at the beginning of 2020 have changed. Now intention is to unveil more electric cars, trucks and SUVs than previously announced and that it will produce many of them sooner than originally planned.

GM will also lift the budget for all-electric, autonomous vehicles and battery development over the next five years to $NZ39 billion, an increase of $NZ10.1 billion over initial plans announced in March. 

GM has high confidence in its Ultium battery programme.

All its US domestic market brands will provision electric cars to ensure availability at “all price points for work, adventure, performance and family use.”

GM has also created a new division, EV Growth Operations, dedicated to creating new electric vehicle models and the software and services to go with them. It anticipates that within five years, 40 percent of GM models sold in the US will be electric.

Some will have a new proprietary battery system, called Ultium, which GM believes presents a breakthrough for cost, packaging and range. GM says Ultium cars can clock 750kms before need for recharging.

Cadillac aside, there are also big plans for Hummer, GMC, Chevrolet and Buick.

In addition to the Hummer EV pickup, GMC will add a Hummer EV SUV and these will eventually be joined by a mainstream electric pickup, also with GMC branding.

Chevrolet will release a replacement for the Bolt electric hatchback it presently sells in the US and Canada. Additionally, it will have an electric full-size pickup plus several SUVs and cars, though there’s never been an indication Corvette will join the electric charge. Buick has two SUVs.

All these brands have previously represented in New Zealand, though it’s been a long time between drinks for some.

Hummer has been reborn as an electric vehicle brand.

From Holden NZ to GMSV – new jobs for Ebolo, Aquilina

Two Aussies who’ve commanded Holden’s operation here are about to report for duty with General Motors.

Talk is that two performance Cadillac cars, the CT5-V (pictured) and the CT4-V in optimised Blackwing tim, might join the Chevrolet Corvette and Silverado 1500 as GMSV products here.

THE present boss of Holden New Zealand and his predecessor have progressed to senior positions in the organisation that takes over General Motors’ interests in a post-Holden world.

Marc Ebolo, who has had the unenviable task of being the top Holden exec in New Zealand as the Australian make dismantles, has been appointed managing director of GM Australia and New Zealand.

The two-decade General Motors commercial and product veteran’s new task is effective from November 1.

 GM Senior Vice President and President GM International, Steve Kiefer, said Ebolo would lead GM’s operations across Australia and New Zealand.

These comprise the newly formed GM Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) as well as Isuzu New Zealand – this being the heavy vehicle side, not the one-tonne ute business, which is in independent hands – and the Holden Aftersales operation for Australia and New Zealand.

Marc Ebolo

Ebolo became Managing Director of Holden New Zealand in June 2018, succeeding Kristian Aquilina, who returned to Australia to at short notice in April of that year to take over Holden’s marketing push.

Now Aquilina is moving again, this time to a new role in GM – as managing director Cadillac International Operations and Cadillac Middle East, based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

It is not clear where Ebolo will be based but odds on it will be in Australia.

He joined joined Holden in 2001 and came to NZ with a wealth of experience from Holden and General Motors, having returned to Australia in 2017 as general manager – revenue strategies, from a posting where he managed GM’s regional operations across Malaysia, Brunei and Fiji. 

Kiefer cited Ebolo’s “deep experience” in leading markets and working across sales, strategy and product planning in Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia will be significant assets through the launch and development of GMSV, as well as driving performance in the aftersales and Isuzu businesses.

“GM continues to see significant opportunity in Australia and New Zealand,” said Kiefer. 

“We are confident that under Marc’s leadership, our GMSV business is ready to compete in key niche segments, including the Silverado light and heavy duty, as well as the C8 Corvette, coming next year.” 

Kristian Aquilina

The transition to GMSV spells an end to Holden Special Vehicles, here and in Australia. There is no word about the future of the specialist make’s NZ regional manager, Andrew Lamb.

GMSV has already confirmed it will take over HSV’s stake in the joint venture between Walkinshaw Group and GM based in Melbourne.

Its task initially will be to continue exactly what HSV has been doing up until now; take North American-built, left-hand-drive GM product and convert it to right-hand drive in Melbourne.

Specifically, that’s just the Silverado 1500. HSV ceased remanufacturing of the Camaro performance coupe into right-hand drive in April. There’s no plan to restart this. However, there has been talk that two Cadillac performance models, the twin-turbo 3.6-litre V6 CT4-V Blackwing and the 6.2-litre V8 CT5-V Blackwing, could yet undergo the process.

The rumour stems from a trademark filing made in Australia on August 31, in which GM seemed to be looking to secure the Cadillac name and logo under the Class 12 and Class 37 goods and services groups. The trademark will be applied towards “vehicles including motor vehicles; engines for motor vehicles; cars,” as well as “maintenance, servicing and repair of motor vehicles.”

The Corvette, of course, is being built in right hand drive at the famed Bowling Green assembly plant in the US.

new Corvette with be GMSV’s halo model.

Ebolo said that customers and partnerships were his main priorities stepping into the role.

“In Australia and New Zealand, we will work very closely with our key partners – the soon-to-be-appointed GMSV dealers, Holden service outlets, Walkinshaw Automotive Group and Isuzu – to grow our businesses and theirs,” he said. 

“I look forward to working with our partners and to bringing to Australia and New Zealand exciting new vehicles from GM’s global portfolio, to compete in niche segments.”

Aquilina said he and Ebolo would work on a detailed transition to ensure continuity for teams, partners and customers.

“I am privileged to have worked with so many talented people who, among other things, have implemented a challenging but significant transformation of our business in Australia and New Zealand. Now is the right time to hand over to Marc,” said Aquilina.

“I have every confidence that under Marc’s leadership, the team will be successful well into the future.”

Get ready for GMSV … and Corvette

It’s all over for HSV … but, don’t worry, there’s a good reason.

 CONFIRMATION today that Holden Special Vehicles is going, GM Speciality Vehicles is taking over within a couple of months and from now on the push is with American Chevrolets, pick-ups and a certain two-seater sports car … to start with.

Nothing about the above will surprise: Talk about a re-emergence as GMSV traces back to comment aired during the General Motor’s announcement on February 17 about Holden heading for the grave.

The one twist in today’s announcement from the remnants of the soon-to-go Holden operation is that the guy who has developed GMSV for New Zealand and Australia won’t be holding the reins when this new enterprise springs into operation.

Peter Keley, a General Motors and Holden ‘lifer’ who in rising up through the ranks of the Lion Brand served a popular term from 2005 to 2008 as managing director of Holden New Zealand, has elected to leave the brand at the end of October.

The amiable and energetic Australian will work with Joanne Stogiannis, announced today as Director – GM Speciality Vehicles, to establish the GMSV dealer network in Australia and New Zealand in the lead-up to his departure.

She’s been Holden’s dealer development manager, with more than a decade of experience working with the lion brand.

GMSV establishes alongside GM’s existing business units in the region, Holden Aftersales and Isuzu New Zealand.  It is scheduled to commence operations in the fourth quarter of this year.

Full clarification on what this means for those dealers currently flying the HSV flag in is yet to be spelled out. Currently, HSV has 56 dealers in Australia and eight in New Zealand, all but two in the North Island. Does GMSV need that many outlets?

There’s also no word about what this means for any employees of HSV in New Zealand.

When this writer last spoke to Andrew Lamb, the specialist make’s New Zealand regional manager, it was on April 28.

 His comment was sought then on talk then that has also come to prove true now – that central to the future programme is a deal between GM and Walkinshaw Group, the powerhouse behind HSV, which dates back to 1988. 

As was speculated then is confirmed now. GMSV be a joint venture between Walkinshaw Group and GM and its task initially will be to continue exactly what HSV has been doing now; take North American-built, left-hand-drive GM product and convert it to right-hand drive in Melbourne.

Specifically, that’s just the Silverado. HSV ceased remanufacturing of the Camaro into right-hand drive in April. There’s no plan to restart this. 

Speculation about GMSV and what it meant for HSV rose at an interesting time for Kiwis as it was when dealers here were finally told that the Silverado 1500 pickup was coming here.

GMSV comment today is that this model will be core to ongoing operations, though the larger 2500 will also be expected to pull its weight.

However, it’s clear that if any one vehicle will pull punters in for tyre-kicking, it’s the world’s first factory right-hand-drive Corvette, whose availability in 2021 has been signalled. No more news than that, however.

And then? Well, there’s already conjecture GMSV will want to add in more metal to fill in some gaps. So, conceivably, the Chevrolet Tahoe and some Cadillac variants might also show.