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Known as the Runabout and the Tonneau, the horseless carriages included cutting-edge technology such as steering wheels and headlights.
The company, part of General Motors since 1909, has been a mainstay of the American luxury car market ever since. Classic models such as the DeVille and Eldorado are instantly recognisable from their boxy profiles.
The Cadillac of the future might look very different. At the virtual Consumer Electronics Show in January, GM unveiled its “vision of the future of transportation”. In 10 years’ time, the presentation showed, a new Cadillac might not have a steering wheel – it might not even have wheels.
Glimpse of the future
The Cadillac Halo portfolio includes two new concepts, the most striking of which is an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) drone aircraft. Described by GM’s vice-president of global design Michael Simcoe as the group’s “first foray into aerial mobility,” it includes a 90kWh EV motor to power four rotors, as well as air-to-air and air-to-ground communications.
“We are preparing for a world where advances in electric and autonomous technology make personal air travel possible,” said Simcoe. “It is a concept designed for the moment when time is of the essence, and convenience is everything – you’ve been at the office, and now you need to get to a meeting across town. The VTOL meets you on the roof and drops you at the ‘vertiport’ closest to your destination.”
The single-seater aircraft has a unique configuration, with two rotors beneath the passenger’s feet and two above and behind their head. The design is apparently focused on “personal space, and a panoramic view of the world passing beneath you,” but the pod-like shape is remarkably boxy, almost as if taking inspiration from the bold right angles of the DeVille or Eldorado.
Few other details are available, but a promotional video clearly showed that the Halo eVTOL eschews the common vertical take-off to horizontal winged flight configuration, which offers greater efficiency and faster speeds. Unlike other flying taxis, it appears to be designed for short hops, rather than inter-city trips.
Simcoe said a two-seater concept is also on the way, “designed for you and someone very special, to decompress, relax and enjoy a multisensory experience choreographed for more intimate journeys”.
While it is far from certain that the Halo eVTOL will ever take off, Simcoe described it as “a glimpse of what autonomy and Cadillac luxury might look like in the not-too-distant future”.
Travel in style
The VTOL was showcased alongside a ground-based pod-style vehicle for multiple occupants, not too dissimilar from autonomous Aurrigo vehicles, which are already running in UK demonstrations. GM’s concept is heavily focused on passenger experience, however, with Simcoe detailing aesthetic innovations.
“The ‘vertical light signature’ is choreographed to greet and draw passengers inside,” he said. “Biometric sensors read passengers’ vital signs to adjust temperature, humidity, lighting, ambient noise and even aromatics for optimum comfort, while voice control and hand-gesture recognition makes adjusting the interior effortless. It’s a space for sitting back, relaxing and arriving in style.”
The Halo concepts came alongside a swathe of announcements from GM about electric and autonomous projects, even including an electric Hummer. If such a brazen symbol of profligate fossil-fuel consumption can receive an eco-friendly makeover, then perhaps one day Cadillacs will fly.
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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.