We all have regrets, some bigger than others. In hindsight, there are things we would have done differently, choices that could have led us down a better path. But since none of us have an autocratic vision, we have to live with the decisions we make. GM has its share of regrets as well, especially when it comes to discontinuing certain models that it wishes had remained in the lineup.
In a candid interview with our colleagues at InsideEVsGM President Mark Reuss admitted that the Cadillac CT6 should never be discontinued. However, this was one of the “difficult decisions” the company had to make at the time. As a reminder, the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly Plant has been converted to Plant Zero for the production of electric trucks and SUVs. This shift hasn’t gone quite as GM planned, considering that about 280 employees are currently laid off through the end of the year due to weak demand for the GMC Hummer EV and Cadillac Escalade IQ.
The CT6 was eliminated from North America in 2020 but is still present in China, where a second generation It launches in 2023. Despite dropping the CT6 in the US, Cadillac still has a flagship model in the all-electric Celestiq, though it’s a much more extravagant offering, starting at more than $300,000. This doesn’t mean the brand is giving up on more attainable sedans. While CT4 is being phased out, A The next generation CT5 with a combustion engine Officially in development.
Aside from the CT6, Royce also shared that he wishes Chevrolet had never ended production of the original Bolt. The painting is Back to 2026But not as a direct successor to the hatchback. Instead, it will replace the crossover-style Bolt EUV, offering faster charging and a slightly higher range, all for $29,990, making it the most affordable electric vehicle in America.
Looking back, Royce added that he believed the EV1 should never have been cancelled, though he clarified that he was not with GM at the time:
“I wasn’t there for EV1.” I wasn’t in the company. This would have been one example of something the company shouldn’t have done, which was cancel it. That was a really cool car.
It is rare to hear a high-level executive publicly admit that some past decisions might have led to better results if they had been handled differently. Royce acknowledged that electric vehicle adoption has not progressed as quickly as GM expected, but noted that “it’s still happening.” However, the decision to greenlight a new gas-powered CT5 effectively signals that Cadillac is backing away from its previous goal of going all-electric by the end of the decade.
