Low-energy rollout for GM’s electrics

General Motors Chief Executive Mary Barra has called 2023 a breakout year for the company’s electricvehicle push, but it’s off to a slow start.

The Detroit automaker is dealing with the slower-than-expected rollout of two high-profile electric vehicles, the GMC Hummer EV and the Cadillac Lyriq, increasing pressure on Barra after GM lost EV market share to rivals last year.

More than 15 months after GM began building the electric GMC Hummer pickup truck, the company has been making roughly a dozen a day, a figure far below initial targets for this point in the rollout, people familiar with the matter said. The Hummer has a wait list of more than 80,000 people. Some Hummers have been stuck at dealerships under a sales freeze since October, as GM investigated a potential problem with water seeping into the battery pack.

GM’s other high-profile new EV, the Cadillac Lyriq SUV, which it started selling almost a year ago, is also experiencing an unusually slow ramp-up. Through February, GM had sold roughly 1,000 Lyriqs since it began building them in March 2022. Comparatively, Tesla sold an estimated 252,000 Model Ys in the US last year, according to research firm Motor Intelligence. The Lyriq is a direct competitor to the Tesla Model Y.

GM aims to produce 36,000 Lyriqs in the US this year, 9% lower than its target, partly because of a tight supply of battery cells, people familiar with the matter said.

“Demand is very strong for our new EVs, and we appreciate the loyalty of our dealers and customers,” a GM spokesman said.