General Motors has filed a trademark application with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office on December 20 for the "Buick Electra" name. Filed in the “Motor land vehicles, namely, automobiles” class, the application's current status is "awaiting examination."
The filling suggests Buick may be working on a production version of the namesake crossover concept it showed in China in 2020. There are no details in the application regarding the body style or propulsion type, but launching a model called Electra without an all-electric powertrain would be quite a wasted opportunity, don’t you think?
It’s worth noting that GM already filed a trademark application for the Electra name in the United States in 2002, so this new application from Canada suggests that plans for a Buick Electra EV are advancing.
A Buick Electra would definitely make sense as a battery-powered crossover based on the Ultium architecture. Think of it as a sister model of the upcoming Cadillac Lyriq, which has the same underpinnings.
Gallery: Buick Electra Concept
When Buick unveiled the Electra Concept at Auto Shanghai 2020, it said the design study previewed the brand’s new, minimalistic design language and its electrified underpinnings.
Mixing the looks of a four-seat crossover with a sleek GT car, the Buick Electra Concept featured a long hood, upright front end, sloping windshield and roof, and a stylized rear end. Highlights included the butterfly doors, thin-slit headlights, illuminated Buick badge, and 23-inch wheels.
Inside, the Electra concept featured a “spaceship-like” cradle with a large curved display, retractable steering yoke, and suspended seats. A production Buick Electra would obviously look less futuristic than the concept, but could retain some of its key design cues.
As for the powertrain, the Electra Concept featured two electric motors making 435 kW (583 hp), powered by Ultium batteries providing more than 600 kilometers (372 miles) of range. According to Buick, the AWD concept could do 0-60 in 4.3 seconds.
In comparison, the Cadillac Lyriq RWD model features 254 kW (340 hp) and 325 lb-ft (440 Nm) of torque from a single electric motor and can cover more than 300 miles (483 km) of range on a full charge of its 100 kWh battery. A Performance AWD model is expected in early 2023 and we wouldn't be too surprised if it had similar specs to the Buick Electra Concept.
