Cadillac is showing a new concept this week during Monterey Car Week, meant to point to the luxury brand’s future design language for battery-electric vehicles.

Dubbed Elevated Velocity1 (EV1), the 2+2 CUV channels the luxury brand’s V-Series performance line in a new design language for future performance BEVs, the company says.

As the future growth rate of BEVs remains unclear following the Sept. 30 cancellation of the $7,500 U.S. federal tax credit, Cadillac is betting on booking some future profits in luxury segments where buyers don’t need any government subsidies to buy BEVs.

Cadillac recently introduced Lyriq-V and Optiq-V, as well as the $340,000 Celestiq to meet growing demand for luxury performance BEVs and tells media, “The Elevated Velocity concept is a continuation of what the winning formula of Cadillac V-Series performance could look like in the future.”

The 2+2 crossover is a form that has gained popularity in recent years from luxury marques such as BMW, Porsche, Audi and Ferrari. Though ultra-luxury BEVs aren’t likely to be taken off-road much, Cadillac nonetheless notes the EV1, a nod to GM’s first-ever BEV from the 1990s, has a lifted platform and “is calibrated for daring off-road performance in the most extreme desert locales.”

The company is not disclosing any powertrain, performance or range specifications, as those can easily be adjusted for different future performance vehicles, or if Cadillac decides to build a production vehicle close to the EV1’s design specs.

“Elevated Velocity builds on the design principles introduced in the Opulent Velocity concept revealed in 2024, artfully integrating Cadillac’s luxury, technology and performance in an increasingly popular performance-luxury crossover form factor,”  Bryan Nesbitt, vice president-GM Global Design, says in a media briefing.

The EV1 showing this month is drive-worthy, says Cadillac, and has driving and lighting modes meant to deliver the feeling of bespoke craftsmanship, on a hyper-car that if it came to fruition certainly would be priced into the six-figures.

The concept’s Welcome Mode greets the driver, with the vehicle floor, seats, instrument panel, doors and steering wheel illuminating in a soft-white light upon approach, while the gull-wing doors lift skyward. A “welcome” animation on the steering wheel is reminiscent of shifting desert sand, while the Cadillac wordmark and V-Series logo illuminates on the dashboard endcaps.

Elevate mode, when engaged, turns EV1 into an autonomous-driving experience, with the pedals and steering wheel retracting. Interior ambient lighting shifts to red, while the seatback lighting features infrared light. Doors are backlit to synchronize breathing and movement.

Velocity mode, when engaged by the driver, delivers lighting of cool-white tones that evoke a sense of exhilaration. Door interiors are backlit, while white floor lighting dims to aid the driver in focusing on the road ahead and the deployable steering wheel displays speed, time, battery health and temperature and augmented-reality navigation is shown in a head-up display on the cowl. In Velocity mode, the cockpit is the focus, Cadillac says.

Because Cadillac expects some customers to take production vehicles based on the tech in the EV1 to the track and black lakes for performance drives, there are bio-metric sensors on board to measure a driver’s heart rate, oxygen, stress and other vital signs in order to optimize the cabin for “recovery.”

From a driving standpoint, EV1’s selectable drive modes are intended for both on-road and off-road, while a dual-mode drive adapts instantly to terrain and intent. The CUV’s e-Velocity mode is intended for intense on-road driving, says Cadillac, an evolution of the V-Mode found in V-Series vehicles today. Terra mode enables peak off-road performance, activating air suspension. Sand Vision is a feature similar to Cadillac’s existing Night Vision technology, which enables the driver to achieve better visibility in a sandstorm.

Meanwhile, “Elements Defy” is a practical feature that keeps the exterior of the Elevated Velocity1 clean of external elements and debris such as dust, sand, and dirt via a dust-phobic vibration, ensuring the vehicle arrives at its destination in” pristine condition.”

The Cadillac EV1 continues the proportions Cadillac established with its Celestiq supercar and Lyriq midsize crossover, shown by a stretched hood. The gullwing doors, a mainstay of concept cars, could end up in a production version as they have in other super-luxury cars.

The show car, notes Cadillac, is painted Vapor Blue  “with undertones of flinty grey inspired by glacial ice, contrasting with the fiery red interior and further exemplifying the extreme performance nature of the concept.”

The cabin wears shades of deep red with brushed metal accents. The Morello Red deep-red leather covers the headliner/pillars, door uppers, seat cushions, rear compartment, cabin and cargo floor. There is a red fabric wrapping around the vehicle’s interior from the doors to behind the instrument panel, and behind the rear seats, creating a full ring of the material.

The luxury extends to the HVAC system. When Elevate mode is selected, a variety of in-cabin experiences are engaged: interior cabin filtration pulls dust particles out of the cabin air; “extreme climatization” compensates for dry air, sudden and extreme temperature shifts and altitude changes; and air purification and air fragrance engages.

One of the ideas behind the EV1, says Nesbitt, is to offer customers a true customization process that would allow the creation of one-of-a-kind executions, similar to what the company is offering on the current super-luxury Celestiq.

The EV1’s luxury positioning is associated with desert polo, thus there is a hand-crafted polo set included in the car that is meant to echo the EV1s design aesthetic, with the case reflecting the concept’s Vapor Blue exterior color. The polo helmet, gloves, kneepads and mallet are crafted in Morello Red and feature Cadillac wordmarks, crests, and interpretations of the Cadillac precision pattern found in the interior.

The Elevated Velocity concept will be on display at The Quail Lodge’s, “The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering” luxury auction and collector-car show in Carmel, CA, on August 15, during the annual Monterey Car Week.