In some ways, EVs are just the same as ICE vehicles. The latest example of this comes from a car enthusiast who discovered a crushed Cadillac Lyriq prototype (the brand’s first battery-powered vehicle) at his local scrap yard.
While the aficionado was checking out the latest arrivals at a scrap yard in Wisconsin, he was surprised to come across a couple of crushed GM test vehicles. And it’s no wonder the Lyriq was the most conspicuous. Sure, this was the only EV of the lot, but also had its test vehicle camouflage on—we’re talking about the psychedelic wrap that used to conceal its styling before the vehicle’s 2020 unveiling.
The Lyriq has only been in production since March last year—you can blame the global health crisis for the two-year delay. And, in case you’re wondering about its popularity, the Lyriq, which carries an MSRP of $58,590 for the 2024MY, has registered solid sales, with 2,316 units sold in the first nine months of this year.
For the record, that means the Cadillac outsold rivals like the Lexus RZ, Audi Q8 E-Tron, and Jaguar I-Pace, albeit coming nowhere near the segment leader, which, as you may have expected, is the Tesla Model Y (190,500 units sold for the said period).
Why do automakers crush test vehicles?
Automakers crush test vehicles because this is the most economically viable way for them to get rid of the prototypes, as opposed to dismantling them/upcycling parts. These pre-production vehicles don’t have VINs, so they can’t be titled. And with carmakers remaining the owners, they want to ensure the vehicles don’t get back on the road, as any part failure or accident would likely draw legal responsibility for the manufacturer.
Another possibility for automakers is to donate these pre-production units to automotive schools where students can take them apart, with a contract forbidding the vehicles being used on the road. Of course, once the schools are done with the cars, these will still get crushed—perhaps the most infamous example came a couple of years ago when Dodge crushed 93 pre-production first-gen Vipers… along with our hearts.
Returning to the crushed GM test vehicles spotted at the Wisconsin scrap yard (hat tip to Redditor bontiacfireturd), these include multiple pickup trucks and SUVs, one of which raises a lot of questions, as it comes with a window sticker that also includes a VIN.
Crushing these vehicles also involves rendering their engines useless, even though we can’t see the state of the Cadillac’s electric motor(s) . The only part that we expect to be missing—this isn’t visible in the images—is the Lyriq prototype’s 100.4 kWh Li-ion battery, as this has its own recycling path and was removed before the vehicle landed in the crusher due to safety reasons
