- The 2026 Optiq is confirmed to be the first General Motors vehicle to come to market equipped with a native Tesla North American Charging Standard (NACS) plug.
- The Optiq-V, announced earlier this month, will follow it.
- For 2026, the Optiq also gets a rear-wheel-drive entry version.
Ask any electric-vehicle driver: any kind of Tesla Supercharger access is a godsend on a road trip. But the adapter life isn’t for everyone, and that’s why more and more EVs with a native Tesla-style North American Charging Standard (NACS) port make for an even sweeter deal.
Soon, you can add General Motors’ EVs to the list of cars dumping the conventional CCS port, starting with the 2026 Cadillac Optiq.
Cadillac Optiq (2025 model shown)
Photo by: Cadillac
A Cadillac spokesperson confirmed to InsideEVs that the Optiq will be GM’s first-ever car with a NACS plug, followed soon after by the performance-focused Optiq-V, which was announced earlier this month. “By integrating a NACS port directly into the vehicle, GM provides customers with direct access to 21,500-plus reliable and convenient fast charging options across North America,” the automaker said in a statement.
In doing so, the Optiq joins the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 9, Lucid Gravity, Kia EV9 and a growing field of other EVs to feature a NACS port straight from the factory. Previously, GM’s EVs could access the Supercharger network via an adapter. Now, they will use another adapter for conventional charging stations, like the ones offered by Electrify America and others.
The previously dual-motor, all-wheel-drive-only Optiq will get a new entry-level rear-wheel-drive version for 2026. That one’s rated at 315 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. In doing so, Cadillac has upgraded the AWD version significantly; it now gets 440 hp and 498 lb-ft of torque, up from just 300 hp previously. All Optiq models get an 85-kilowatt-hour battery pack.
Range stays consistent at 300 miles, Cadillac said, and DC fast-charging maxes out at 150 kilowatts. That’s not class-leading, but it can still add nearly 80 miles of range in 10 minutes.
As an added bonus, the Optiq adds a version of Super Cruise—GM’s hands-free driving assistance system—that integrates directly with Google Maps and can automatically adjust speed to match posted speed limits on command.
Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but the outgoing Optiq started at $54,390 before any destination fees. It has proven to be a hit for Cadillac, with 75% of Optioq buyers coming in from other brands. Expect more details closer to its release this fall.
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
