Photo: Buick
Buick doesn’t have a long history with electric vehicles. General Motors intends to change that with the help of Ultium technology and the BEV3 platform, and a preview in this regard comes courtesy of the Electra concept.
Shown in China to great critical acclaim from the local media, the electric crossover is a dual-motor affair with 435 kW on tap. That’s 591 horsepower in U.S. currency, yet straight-line performance leaves much to be desired. According to Buick, 4.3 second to 100 kph (62 mph) is the most that the Electra can do.
The Ultium battery that provides electrical energy to the Ultium Drive motors promises “more than 660 kilometers on a single charge.” Buick doesn’t mention the capacity, and curiously enough, there’s no fine print in regard to the fuel economy standard utilized to come up with this estimate. As a brief refresher, China still relies on the New European Driving Cycle which has been phased out on the Old Continent by the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure.
660 kilometers translate to 410 miles, which is too good to be true for a crossover. Tesla, for example, quotes 316 miles for the Model Y Long Range and 351 miles for the Model X Long Range Plus in the United States. To put it bluntly, the production model previewed by the Electra will not mirror the driving range of the Chinese concept designed in collaboration by GM and the SAIC group.
“Buick’s innovative thinking and imagination of future intelligent mobility have reached the next level with the Electra,” declared Sam Basile, executive vice president of the joint venture. “I am confident that the aesthetics and technology innovations reflected on the Electra will ultimately help reset consumers’ expectations, just as all previous Buick concepts have done.”
Mentioning previous concepts is cheeky indeed, more so if you remember how few of them actually made it to production. In any case, the design study in the photo gallery paves the way for a mid-size crossover that will be sold in the United States in addition to the People’s Republic of China. As for when can we expect the production model at dealers, hearsay suggests 2024.
The Ultium battery that provides electrical energy to the Ultium Drive motors promises “more than 660 kilometers on a single charge.” Buick doesn’t mention the capacity, and curiously enough, there’s no fine print in regard to the fuel economy standard utilized to come up with this estimate. As a brief refresher, China still relies on the New European Driving Cycle which has been phased out on the Old Continent by the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure.
660 kilometers translate to 410 miles, which is too good to be true for a crossover. Tesla, for example, quotes 316 miles for the Model Y Long Range and 351 miles for the Model X Long Range Plus in the United States. To put it bluntly, the production model previewed by the Electra will not mirror the driving range of the Chinese concept designed in collaboration by GM and the SAIC group.
“Buick’s innovative thinking and imagination of future intelligent mobility have reached the next level with the Electra,” declared Sam Basile, executive vice president of the joint venture. “I am confident that the aesthetics and technology innovations reflected on the Electra will ultimately help reset consumers’ expectations, just as all previous Buick concepts have done.”
Mentioning previous concepts is cheeky indeed, more so if you remember how few of them actually made it to production. In any case, the design study in the photo gallery paves the way for a mid-size crossover that will be sold in the United States in addition to the People’s Republic of China. As for when can we expect the production model at dealers, hearsay suggests 2024.
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