Cadillac Optiq
Premium Sport electric AWD automatic
Sustainability Rating: 3½ stars
Our verdict:
The Cadillac Optiq is a large and luxurious SUV with an empty mass of almost 2.4 tonnes and a large 80.6 kWh battery. Despite the advantages of a fully electric powertrain, the size and the increased consumption values take a toll on the sustainability rating.
- The Cadillac Optiq scores poorly for tyre abrasion due to its heavy weight, but achieves strong brake abrasion performance by maximizing regenerative braking. It loses some Clean Air score because production and electricity supply emissions are high for a heavy EV with a large battery.
- The Optiq shows relatively high electricity consumption, which increases further in cold and high-load Highway Tests. Substantial additional energy demand is accumulated from production, maintenance, and electricity generation, which significantly lowers the Energy Efficiency score.
- A reduced GHG score is received because high consumption and energy-intensive production processes raise total life cycle emissions. Despite having no direct emissions while driving, the Optiq's climate impact remains higher than that of smaller, more efficient EVs.
Driving Experience
Our comments:
- The estimated real-world consumption values of the Optiq are rated as æpoor' in both the warm and cold weather tests. With the 75 kWh battery (usable capacity), however, the driving range improves to 'adequate'. While the consumption values shown on the display can generally be trusted, the deviations between measured and displayed figures in cold weather testing are huge. Drivers need to remember that the display figures do not reflect the energy amount charged from the grid, but only the energy the vehicle uses from its battery. The amount needed to charge it is naturally higher.
- The heating performance of the car in -7°C cold start conditions is good and the very quick heat-up in all footwell areas is impressive. The Optiq's driving range can benefit well from preconditioning prior to a cold weather trip, while it is still plugged in. This way, an additional 143 km of range can be gained in urban trips. For a mixed trip, the figure is 76 km. The cabin thermal insulation is good and helps the vehicle retain the warmth in the car, reducing energy consumption in cold weather. The big Cadillac is equipped as standard with a series of heating functions, which can help effectively provide thermal comfort at lower energy cost. A smart cabin heating management reduces the energy demand by reducing the heat flow to non-occupied seats.
- The standard home AC charging efficiency is adequate, while the fast DC charging is relatively slow and is rated as poor. Convenient for drivers is the possibility to activate the battery preconditioning prior to a fast-charging event not only through the navigation system, but also manually by pressing a button. The Optiq does not provide any bidirectional charging functionalities.
See datasheet for more details.