11 photos
Photo: Sheryl Crow | Instagram
General Motors officially announced that it has just passed the 100,000 Cadillac EVs sold. A decisive factor was the launch of the Lyriq nearly four years ago. It also mattered that Elon Musk’s erratic political behavior turned many Tesla owners away.
Cadillac got off to a good start in 2026, posting its strongest quarters since 2008 after sales figures increased by 21% for the first three months of the year. Tesla remained the best-selling EV brand, but Cadillac is gaining ground.
General Motors says that the achievement reflects years of coordinated effort across the business, from the engineering and manufacturing teams to sales, marketing, and dealers across the country.
A report by The New York Times reveals that, as of early 2025, Tesla owners are trading in their cars at record speed, with over half of used Teslas traded in at dealerships being replaced by gas-powered vehicles, and roughly 32% by other electric vehicles.
Photo: General Motors
Some owners decided to move on out of frustration with Elon Musk’s erratic public political actions and support of President Donald Trump and chose a model from Cadillac’s EV lineup. Actor Jason Bateman and singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow were on the list of former Tesla owners who ditched their EVs.
A year ago, Business Insider quoted actress Bette Midler saying, “What a joyful day! I sold my Tesla! No longer do I have to drive a symbol of racism, greed, and ignorance! Life is suddenly so much better!!”
Regardless of whether life is better with a Tesla or not, GM offers specific incentives aimed at attracting current Tesla owners to their electric vehicle lineup, particularly through “conquest” bonus cash programs.
For instance, in May 2024, Chevrolet announced a $4,000 regionally available conquest bonus cash incentive for Tesla owners toward the purchase or lease of a Blazer EV in cities such as Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, or Washington, D.C.
Photo: General Motors
General Motors reports that roughly three-quarters of the buyers are new to Cadillac. Many of them come from Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and Lexus. Tesla is likely to lose some serious market share, considering that the Model S and Model X are bowing out, and production has already stopped.
Cadillac doesn’t offer any incentives, but its sales strategy seems to work anyway. The luxury brand’s portfolio includes the Lyriq, Optiq, Vistiq, and Escalade IQ, along with the ultra-expensive and ultra-exclusive Celestiq. As of last year, the Lyriq-V and the Optiq-V joined the lineup.
The most affordable of the pack is the Optiq, which starts at $50,900, followed by the Lyriq, which is a $59,200 deal. Customers have to pay $77,395 for the base Vistiq, while they can go home with the Esalade IQ if they are willing to pay $127,405.
In the meantime, the Celestiq reportedly starts at around $340,000, being by far the most expensive production model that General Motors has ever built.
“Now, it’s on to the next 100,000,” says Duncan Aldred, President, GM North America.