Cadillac, a carmaker with a reputation for making luxury, cumbersome and far from efficient vehicles is to benefit from some of Chevrolet’s know-how in producing a range-extended hybrid car from late 2013.
The new Cadillac ELR is a production version of the Cadillac Converj concept first revealed at the North American International Auto Show in 2009. Like the Chevrolet Volt, the model makes use of the ‘range-extended’ drivetrain technology developed by Chevrolet and Cadillac’s parent firm, GM.
The new ELR will be produced alongside the Volt in GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant and is expected to go on sale in the US from 2014. It will be the first luxury range-extended car the US vehicle maker has ever produced.
Like the Volt, the new ELR will use an electric propulsion system made up of a T-shaped lithium-ion battery, an electric drive unit, and a four-cylinder engine-generator.
The wheels will always be driven by electricity, with a back-up gasoline engine used to boost the driving range once the battery is depleted.
In the Volt, this system provides the car with a fully electric driving range of up to 50 miles per charge, extended to around 350 miles using the petrol generator. The battery can be recharged from mains electricity to boost the fully electric range.The exact performance stats of the new ELR have yet to be revealed, but we can expect something similar.
The arrival of a luxury range-extended hybrid will pitch Cadillac against rivals such as the Fisker Karma and the Toyota-owned Lexus brand and its range of hybrids.
“The ELR will be in a class by itself, further proof of our commitment to electric vehicles and advanced technology,” Reuss said in a keynote address at the SAE Convergence Conference in Detroit. “People will instantly recognize it as a Cadillac by its distinctive, signature look and true-to-concept exterior design.”
The news of the ELR’s production comes after GM put a holt on the production of the Volt, as demand remains soft (see story). Let’s hope things perk up in time for the ELR’s arrival.
Faye has been writing about cars and environmental issues since 2007. A suspected eco-warrior working on the corporate inside, Faye mainly likes the weird, quirky vehicles that show a distinct environmental advantage. Her ideal car has enough room to fit a bale of hay in the boot. When not working, she likes nothing better than to head out on her bicycle and explore the countryside.
Faye Sunderland
October 18, 2012
Filed under: GM
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