Buick is leaving combustion-powered cars behind and going all-in on EVs. The GM brand is currently planning the release of its first EV, called the Electra, in the U.S. by 2024. And by 2030, Buick says its entire lineup will be all-electric.
In order to go fully-electric — or fully-electra — Buick will stop selling gasoline-powered cars in the U.S. by the end of this decade and will undergo a ground-up redesign. We’re talking new logo, new Electra naming scheme, new design language and even a new look for its dealerships. The future of Buick is electric, and you don’t have to try hard to imagine it. Buick has given us a glimpse into that future with the Buick Wildcat EV Concept, an EV coupé with very good wheels.
Buick says the transition will “transform the brand,” and I have to point out that Buick has been trying to transform its brand for a long time now. The carmaker has struggled to leave an impression on car buyers, despite having made pretty awesome cars like the Regal TourX Wagon. Buick isn’t struggling as much as most would assume, though; the carmaker saw a 7.6 percent increase in its U.S. sales last year.
Still, Buick isn’t the first thing that springs to mind when we’re talking about GM. Buick is betting that the EV transition is as good a time as any to finally transform its brand. This transformation could actually take this time, because EVs are forcing every major carmaker to rethink their lineup and strategies.
Really, there’s historical precedent here. Not just in both Electra and Wildcat names, which Buick has used in the past (in the 1950s), but with other EVs, too. Buick sells the Velite 6 EV in China, and that’s a pretty good-looking EV.
The Wildcat EV concept is neat, but it looks like a flagship (expensive) electric car, and there’s already too many of those. I would love to see a lower-end electric car from Buick, something like its version of the Chevy Bolt — but no fires, please. Or, hopefully, even something like an electric Buick Regal TourX Wagon.
