GM CEO Says Cadillac Is Going On A Trip Abroad.

In Los Angeles this week, General Motors’ CEO Mary Barra broke some important news. She said that GM could be looking at a return to the European market, and likely as an EV-only manufacturer. However, it is worth pointing out that this would only be a half-return of sorts. GM never left. It still sells the Chevrolet Corvette in Europe, as well as a small handful of Cadillac vehicles.

That said, we wouldn’t exactly call that a “presence” in Europe, and neither would GM. At the Milken Global Conference, Barra said that while the brand doesn’t regret selling German brand Opel five years ago, the brand could come back in greater force.

“About five years ago, we sold our Opel business to what is now Stellantis and we have no seller’s remorse from an internal combustion business. But we are looking at the growth opportunity that we have now, because we can reenter Europe as an all-EV player. I’m looking forward to that.” said Barra at the Conference.

Right now, GM’s Cadillac EV lineup consists of luxury models like the Cadillac Lyriq, and given the brand’s existing Caddy presence on The Continent, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Lyriq there soon. Moreover, Europe’s push for EVs makes sense for Cadillac, a brand set to be all-electric in the coming years.

However, America and China are still the brand’s top markets, and we expect GM’s focus to stay there, even if a move to Europe does shake out. After the debut of the F-150 Lighting, it’s important for GM’s competitor in the space, the Silverado EV, to succeed. We could even see other GM brands outside of Cadillac push into Europe, like Chevrolet. The small truck market there is strong, and we imagine an electric Chevy pickup could do well in the space.

That said, a return to Europe for the brand looks all but certain. “our team will develop our plans to bring our best products and services to customers in Europe,” Samara said. In light of tightening regulations surrounding electric vehicle requirements in Europe, we can only assume this will further development and lead to better EVs from GM, both at home and abroad.