Just over a year ago, GM confirmed that the Cadillac Converj Concept (pictured here) would be the basis of a production plug-in hybrid model to be called the Cadillac ELR. Speaking at this week’s SAE Convergence Conference in Detroit, GM North America President Mark Reuss offered a bit more detail on this nascent addition the Cadillac lineup, saying the dramatically styled 2+2 coupe will go on sale late next year. The final-form version of the ELR is expected to make its debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto show in January.
To build this new Cadillac, GM is investing and additional $35 million in its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, a facility that’s also is home to the Chevrolet Volt along with two other extended-range vehicles, the Opel Ampera and Holden Volt. It will be the first 2-door model manufactured at Detroit-Hamtramck since the 1999 Cadillac Eldorado.
As previously announced, the new Cadillac ELR will share a bespoke version of the Volt’s E-REV powertrain. It, too, will feature a centrally mounted T-shaped lithium-ion battery to energize the car’s electric motor and a 4-cylinder gasoline-fueled electric generator that can seamlessly kick in when the pack is depleted to create on-the-fly power that can keep the ELR going for several hundred additional miles.
"The ELR will be in a class by itself, further proof of our commitment to electric vehicles and advanced technology," Reuss said. "People will instantly recognize it as a Cadillac by its distinctive, signature look and true-to-concept exterior design." No word yet on pricing for the new 2014 Cadillac ELR, but it’s expected to start in the $50,000-$55,000 range.
