“It’s no secret they want to elevate their brand, they want to compete with the European luxury automakers, and it seems like they’ve tried various avenues like performance,” Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights for Edmunds, told The Detroit News on Wednesday. “So I wonder if this is one of those ways that they want to differentiate themselves, but it’s not necessarily going to materialize into anything that is long-lasting.”

The Lyriq uses the same infotainment system as the 2021 Escalade, a mammoth 33.0-inch curved OLED that doubles as the driver’s gauge display. The display reportedly has the “highest pixel density available in the automotive industry today” and can reproduce over one billion colors, 64 times more than any other vehicle’s display offers and which can only be fully appreciated if you are a Mantis Shrimp.

What’s more, the Lyriq will offer “dual-plane augmented reality-enhanced head-up display and remote self-parking” features, per a Cadillac press release. In addition, the Lyriq will sport GM’s latest version of the SuperCruise driver assist suite, which now includes automated lane changing.

“The LYRIQ represents the next iteration of the iconic brand’s styling, enabled by electrification, as only Cadillac can express,” Andrew Smith, executive director, Global Cadillac Design, said in a press statement. “Inside and out, Lyriq is a thoughtful integration of design and technology and is intended to make every drive an occasion.”

Ultium batteries will normally support up to 200kW fast charging (slower than Tesla’s 250kW Supercharger V3, if still quick), but there will be 800-volt packs for trucks that will handle 350kW charging. They’ll be low-cobalt designs that are both cheaper than before (under $100 per kWh) and should raise fewer concerns about the labor required. Between the lower costs of the batteries themselves, the reuse of existing facilities and simpler car designs, GM expects its next wave of EVs to be “profitable” — it’ll have an incentive to sell them like any other car.

The self-driving Cruise Origin shuttle is GM’s first announced EV to use Ultium batteries, but it won’t be the last. You can also expect Cadillac to unveil an Ultium-powered Lyriq luxury SUV in April, while the Hummer EV will unsurprisingly use the tech as well. Not that GM is sitting tight otherwise. It’s planning a new version of the Bolt EV for late 2020 and the crossover Bolt EUV for summer 2021.

To some extent, the company doesn’t have much choice. Tesla has long claimed range as a central advantage, and it’s already getting nearly 400 miles from the Model S and X. If GM wants to be competitive, it’ll have to offer comparable abilities. And it’s not like other rivals are standing still — just ask Ford about the popularity of the Mach-E’s long range option. In that light, Ultium is less of a technical edge and more of a necessity.