Is Buick Lost In GM’s EV Masterplan? Comments By GM CEO Mary Barra Paint Mixed Canvas

General Motors is currently moving full speed in its plans to achieve an all-EV future with the company rolling out a growing pool of electric vehicles for Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and the newly revived and rebooted Hummer sub-brand. However, one brand that has been absent from the discussion recently is Buick, with its electrification plans still shrouded in mystery. Has Buick become lost in the proverbial shuffle? Recent comments at an Automotive Press Association (APA) event by GM CEO Mary Barra suggest that while the company still has plans for the brand, the future continues to be very uncertain.

Buick Continues To Play Second Fiddle For Now

When Mary Barra kicked off the fifth annual fireside event at the historic Gem Theater in Detroit, Michigan she made it clear that GM is still committed to being all-electric by 2035 but that the firm will adapt based on customer demands.

“We’re going to be led by the customer” she said, “but I do believe this transition will happen over a period of time.”

We had an opportunity to put the first half of that statement to the test during the ensuing Q&A session when we asked Barra about what the roadmap for electrification would look like at Buick. Unlike GM’s other brands, we haven’t heard anything new about Buick’s electrification strategy here in the U.S  beyond a prior statement saying that the brand would go fully electric by 2030 as well as the appearance of the beautiful (and sadly not for sale Buick Wildcat EV coupe.)

This lack of clarity has irked a growing pool of customers in recent years, including this author, (a current Buick owner in his own right.) Barra chose not to answer our question directly but did confirm that the other brands had received higher levels of priority in their road to electrification mainly due to their respective marketing positions while also flat-out refusing to talk about what a potential EV roadmap for Buick would look like. When asked to further detail GM’s rumored hybrid plans, Barra also declined to answer questions about whether GM has decided to pull the trigger on offering hybrid models again in the U.S. citing the need to not discuss future products. It’s important to note that GM still sells hybrids but only in certain international markets.

But while our question turned out to be the only Buick-related item of the evening, Barra’s response also brought to light the lack of communication between the brand and its customers about EVs which is in stark contrast to what we have seen from the other three GM brands (Hummer is technically a sub-brand within GMC) in the EV realm. Buick is supposed to be one of GM’s two luxury brands, but in recent years it appears that it has often been the one forced out of the spotlight by its corporate teammates and this trend isn’t helping during a time when Buick needs more eyes than ever to see what it has next for the next generation of buyers looking to electrify their vehicle ownership experience.

Is Buick Missing Out On A Big Opportunity?

It’s a shame too because we think that there is still potential for Buick to carve a desirable niche for itself within GM’s sales figures. Part of this is due to Buick having an SUV lineup that’s perhaps the most dynamic we have seen yet. While Buick did move away from sedans several years ago to double down on growing crossover and SUV demand, this strategy has helped it win over a strong pool of female buyers with the brand currently besting all other brands in this particular regard according to a study published by S&P Global earlier this year. Recent launches of the refreshed Buick Encore GX and the all-new Buick Envista aim to further cement this trend further.

So what’s the problem one might be asking? Well, it comes down to one key area, marketing. While GM’s other brands have benefitted from slick marketing campaigns that have consistently been updated over the years. Buick feels like it’s in a disjointed form of cruise control with cliches and the same core essentials defining its television commercials year after year (we have even provided an example below.)

With electrification rapidly approaching, Buick will need to move away from ho-hum commercials like this one and instead find a bolder approach that allows the brand to project its distinctive identity to a wider dragnet of customers, especially early adopters. We think Buick has the tools to do this, but the brand will have to play its cards right to pull it off properly (along with reminders of the Wildcat concept for good measure.)

What Buick EVs Are Coming?

When Buick eventually gets around to fleshing out its EV lineup, look for these offerings to continue to be crossovers and SUVs with the brand sticking to what works best. The exact models are unknown at this point, but a glimpse at the Chinese market certainly brings a few possibilities to the table. A prominent one is the Electra E5 which is currently sold in that country alongside the smaller E4.

Unlike the E4 though, we think the E5 is the one that will most likely make the trek to the U.S. The Electra E5 is in the right size bracket for most shoppers and it should deliver similar performance to what we have already seen in the Lyriq with the Electra potentially making 340-hp and delivering 300 miles of range (subject to change when the Electra appears stateside. The interior also looks the part and a highlight feature is the massive 30-inch infotainment system that uses the same OLED tech we have already seen in the Cadillac Escalade. In China, the model is sold as either a Standard or Long Range model but it remains to be seen if that structure will carry over to a U.S. version (if it’s even coming here.)

In the meantime, we hope to hear more about Buick’s EV plans soon, especially, how the brand will reach out and market its EVs to consumers. Look for enhanced messaging to play a prominent role and ultimately, it’s the thing Buick needs to help educate customers looking to embrace green vehicles and also promote a strong future for the brand moving forward in GM’s broader business operations.