The Buick Electra nameplate will return to production for the first time in more than 30 years. There’s still some mystery as to how exactly it will look, but a batch of new spy shots confirm that an electric crossover is definitely in the works.
Suspicions have been raised about the Electra reboot in 2020 with the debut of the Electra-badged concept vehicle. It was followed by GM trademarking the Electra name for North America, and then a second Electra concept called the Electra-X arriving in the summer of 2022. A series of GM trademarks for Electra E1 through E9 appeared in November, indicating that the entire Electra sub-brand maybe in the future.
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That brings us to the image above, showing a heavily camouflaged prototype resembling the Electra-X concept. A low roof with a beltline curving upwards at the rear looks like the concept. Placeholder headlights are visible at the front, but appear to occupy space for slim headlights as seen on the concept. Additionally, heavy camouflage clings to the lower fascia line on the front, revealing the Electra-X’s shape. At the rear there is an obvious placeholder for a taillight, but like the front, the lens appears to share space with a shape that fits the concept.
There is no visible exhaust system as this is an electric vehicle. It will use a battery running the GM Ultium platform developed in partnership with LG Chem. A single-motor RWD layout is believed to be standard, with an optional dual-motor AWD system. Our sources believe it will be called the Electra E4, aimed at markets in North America and China.
The Electra moniker has been confirmed in China, but not the E4 shown here. Images of the Electra E5 recently posted by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, show an EV with similar proportions and design to the new Encore GX. Presumably, the Electra E4 could function as a coupe-like crossover version of the E5.
There is no timeframe for when the Electra E4’s official debut will occur. Our best guess is sometime in the second half of 2023.
