Buick Wildcat EV concept highlights brand’s electric vision
Remember Buick (GM)? GM is hoping you will now.
Buick is committing to going fully electric by the end of the decade, and as proof of vision the brand just offered up a first-look of its Electra EV concept.
Buick says the Wildcat was created to convey an “all-new design language” for the brand. The car has an aggressive, sharp front end with a new trapezoidal grill and long front hood and quarter panels, which combined with the steep rake of the windshield give the concept a very coupe-like, grand touring look.
The concept is a 2+2 coupe, sitting low and wide to the ground, and the car also features a unique door system that Buick calls “semi-swing” that allows for easy entry. Numerous design elements both in the cabin and outside (along with a new logo) give the car an 1920’s aviator meets Art Deco feel.
“We are on the cusp of true change, and this concept is a tangible vision of it,” Sharon Gauci, executive director Global Buick and GMC Design, said in a statement. “It inaugurates the next chapter in Buick’s design heritage, as we make the crucial transition to our all-electric future.”
Buick says the future of the brand’s EVs will use the Electra nameplate going forward, and that the first Electra EV will be coming out in 2024.
Buick brand head Duncan Allred also revealed in a press conference today that the Buick Electra-X concept SUV that was teased for the China market recently, will also be coming to the North American market as well.
Currently Buick only offers four models in the U.S. (all are gas-powered crossovers), but that will go down to the 3 when the Encore is dropped in 2023. Adding a new Electra EV will bring the brand back to four models, with the goal for all models to be electrified by the end of the decade, at least in North America. Buick did not say when an Electra-X based model will be coming to the U.S. brand portfolio.
Despite its somewhat diminished profile within the GM brand range and limited vehicle offerings, Buick is coming off a good year. Buick says last year was the best ever for its current lineup, with U.S. sales up 7.6%. New customer conquests are a big part of that, with nearly 73% of sales new customers to Buick.
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Pras Subramanian is a senior autos reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.
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