As automakers transition to EVs, can old brands learn new tricks?

“F-150 is the strongest truck brand in the world, but I think most people would prefer a Rivian,” Ries said. “As for the Tesla Cybertruck — wow, that is a different looking thing! It is not going to replace the F-150 to haul manure, but it is new and different.”

I'm not sure it's that simple. Having driven the Lightning with its 320 miles range and 580 horsepower, I suspect many truck fans will prefer it, too. With enough seat time, minds can be trained.

Heritage proud

Technology shifts wreak havoc on storied brands. Kodak and Nokia were once giants, but are no longer driving forces in their industries. Kodak failed to own digital, while Nokia missed the next generation of smartphones.

Traditional automakers face the same challenge. Along with its luxury competitors, Cadillac is committed to an all-electric line-up by 2030. If launching a new brand is the cleanest way to enter a new segment, why didn’t GM launch an electric-only brand?

“They were in love with their brand,” Ries said. “It was sacrilege to say you can’t put our brand on a new product. Buyers want Tesla the brand because it stands for the category. When you say, ‘I bought a Cadillac,’ it doesn’t mean anything. A new category demands new brands in order to succeed.”

As Cadillac moves into the future, it is leaving “CT” and “XT” names in the past, re-embracing actual names like Lyriq, Celestiq, Optiq, and Vistiq — with one exception: Escalade IQ. The plot thickens with the all-electric Escalade IQ sitting alongside an Escalade V with a 682-horsepower supercharged V-8.

“Escalade IQ is classic inside-out thinking,” Ries said.

Sure, but maybe an Escalade is an Escalade, no matter the powertrain. Perhaps Mopar enthusiasts won’t care their Charger is electric when it blows the doors off gasoline versions.

Consider another classic marque, one whose most famous advertisement proclaimed, “At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.” The fully electric powertrain of the Rolls-Royce Spectre may finally live up to that claim as it silently spirits its owners to their Gulfstream jets. We’ll see.

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