Buick appears to step up its electrification game after they trademarked the “Electra” name in Canada. The brand plans an electric SUV to go after Ford’s Mustang Mach-E.
Buick hinted at joining the EV bandwagon more than a year ago when they introduced the Electra concept in China. The Buick is a fairly reputable car brand in the country and the concept was met with vivid interest from both the local media and the public. Buick wanted us to know this concept is a “sneak peek at Buick's vision for a new intelligent electric future.”
In truth, the Buick Electra concept introduced a wild, futuristic design, with some crazy butterfly doors and a dashboard that will make Tesla fans jealous. Proportions hint the next Electra will be an SUV, although the lower greenhouse makes it look like a coupé. Of course, the Electra would be powered by GM’s Ultium technology, with a nickel-manganese-cobalt and aluminum (NCMA) chemistry that is said to cut down on cobalt use by 70%.
No rumors about the future Buick electric model (or models, for that matter) surfaced ever since, until the trademark filing in Canada for a car named Buick Electra, on December 20. This might indicate Buick is ready for a North American launch shortly. A more mature concept than the Chinese Electra design study could be revealed as early as the Consumer Electronics Show next month.
In the meantime, we must have missed an easter egg hidden in a Ultifi presentation video from September this year. It comes exactly one year after the Chinese concept and it details the benefits of GM’s future multimedia platform. Hidden in plain sight but only visible for two seconds is a Mustang Mach-E-proportioned unknown model that bears the Buick logo on the ducktail back. The video also shows the interior of the car. Although the scenes bear the “simulated concept model” watermark, the car looks remarkably production-ready.
The silhouette of the car makes a lot of sense, as Ford’s electric model must be looked up to as it shows what a big, traditional carmaker can do. The Mustang Mach-E is a good-looking, mean machine that takes Ford’s heritage and packs it into a modern electric SUV that makes everyone’s head turn. This surely must be the recipe Buick must follow, and apparently, they will, judging by the car in the video brought to our attention by eHauler from Rivian Owners Forum.
After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions. Full profile
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