About 150 U.S. Cadillac Dealers to Exit Brand Rather Than Sell Electric Cars--2nd Update

By Mike Colias 

About 150 General Motors Co. dealers have decided to part ways with Cadillac, rather than invest in costly upgrades required to sell electric cars, according to people familiar with the plans, indicating some retailers are skeptical about making the pivot to battery-powered vehicles.

GM recently gave Cadillac dealers a choice: Accept a buyout offer to exit the brand or spend roughly $200,000 on dealership upgrades -- including charging stations and repair tools -- to get their stores ready to sell electric vehicles, these people said.

The buyout offers ranged from around $300,000 to more than $1 million, the people familiar with the effort added. About 17% of Cadillac's 880 U.S. dealerships agreed to take the offer to end their franchise agreements for the luxury brand, these people said.

The buyouts are an early sign of looming changes for car dealers as traditional auto makers move aggressively into electric vehicles.

Auto retailers will face upfront costs, such as electrical upgrades to stores and heavy-duty lifts in the service department to hoist electric cars, which generally are heavier than gasoline-powered vehicles due to their large battery packs.

Some dealers have said they are wary of making upfront investments when electrics now account for only about 2% of the overall U.S. vehicle market, much of that Tesla Inc. sales. Previous efforts by traditional auto makers to sell electrics have struggled, leaving dealers stuck with models that are difficult to sell, according to many dealers.

Cadillac global brand chief Rory Harvey confirmed that the company offered buyouts to dealers, but declined to specify how many had taken them or the value of the offers.

"The future dealer requirements are a logical and necessary next step on our path towards electrification," Mr. Harvey said. Those who aren't ready to make that commitment are getting fair compensation for exiting the brand, he added.

Write to Mike Colias at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 04, 2020 15:27 ET (20:27 GMT)

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