Don’t Laugh at the $340K Cadillac Celestiq Driving With Its Charge Door Open

If you clicked on this blog expecting expert analysis, I'm sorry. A reader sent in these photos of Cadillac's highfalutin electric flagship strolling around the Mile High City and the charge door caught my eye. Maybe it's me, but it's funny to see such a high-tech, high-luxury car cosplaying as a beat-up Chevy Cobalt with its gas flap open because the owner left 7-Eleven in a hurry.

The Celestiq test mule was driving alongside a Chevy Silverado EV prototype on what looks like Interstate 70, near Interstate 225. Both are covered in grime as so many cars in Colorado are this time of year. The pickup is a lot more subtle, I'll say, as it wears a plain coat of white paint rather than a galactic camouflage wrap like the Celestiq. The Chevy's charge door is also located where you'd expect to find a gas cap, but the Cadillac's is directly in front of the driver's door, on the fender. Look how it drops down. Look at the fancy hinge!

I doubt it's any concern to the driver that the dilly was left open. These test mules are relentlessly beat on, usually coming away with more than a few battle scars from driving in poor conditions. Heck, if it gets sideswiped and the charge door comes completely off, it'll make a great souvenir for somebody.

Just don't expect a real customer to treat their Celestiq so harshly. They're slated to reach production next year and Cadillac has set the starting price around $340,000. It's real "Standard of the World" stuff, doing battle with luxury giant Rolls-Royce and its new Spectre EV. The Celestiq wins the range comparison at 300 miles compared to the Double-R's 260 miles, and the Caddy makes 680 horsepower compared to just 577 from the Spectre. It'll be a fun fight, but I don't expect to see many of either where I live in the Ozarks.

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