Nothing ventured, nothing gained. This famous proverb has certainly guided the ambitions of Cadillac’s marketing teams in China. To promote the Lyriq electric SUV, the American brand went fishing for customers… in enemy territory. By this I mean that Cadillac simply set up a small stand with the Lyriq in front of a Tesla Supercharger. Tesla owners are then invited to take the wheel of the Cadillac while waiting for their own car to be charged.
20 minutes to convince Tesla customers
On average, it takes 20 to 30 minutes to charge a Tesla from 10 to 80 percent on a V2 Supercharger. 20 to 30 minutes is also more than enough time for customers to drive the Lyriq around the block for free. At least one Cadillac employee, recognizable by his Lyriq jacket, is on hand to convince the curious. Cheeky? Certainly in the eyes of the convinced Teslaïsts.
That’s what the tweet shared by Jay in Shanghai suggests, where he denounces, outraged, a “shameless cold calling by Cadillac”. If we look at the photos in more detail, we can see that the Lyriq offered for test drive is not parked in a reserved parking space. It is also unclear whether Tesla is aware of its competitor’s move.
A commercial strategy that is not new
In any case, this is not the first time this kind of marketing operation has been held. Audi has already tried this in 2019 with the e-tron with a similar strategy. The German brand also stood in front of a Swiss Tesla Supercharger and offered Tesla customers a taste of their electric SUV for two days.
