After testing the waters in 2009 with the Converj concept, Cadillac went on and revealed a hybrid luxury coupe, named the ELR, which will enter production at the end of this year and hit the market in early 2014.
Although the striking design remains faithful to the concept, the underpinnings were more humble as they were borrowed from the Chevrolet Volt. It’s a move that makes perfect sense, though it begs the question why the Volt was rolled out before the ELR since the Cadillac could easily justify a premium price – something the extended-range hybrid Chevy has struggled with.
“I won’t throw stones”, ELR chief engineer Chris Tomason told WardsAuto on the sidelines of the Chicago Auto Show, “but the mentality of management at the time was focused on fuel-free technology on a global basis, considering the cost of fuel. We had one global brand at the time, Chevrolet. Now we have two with Cadillac.”
Tomason wouldn’t comment on pricing nor production rates concerning the ELR, saying only that “we’ll build on demand”. What he did say was that any improvements made on the Voltec drivetrain won’t be shared with the Volt: “Part of being a luxury brand is exclusivity, so that means advances aren’t going to the Volt.”
He also dismissed any comparisons between the all-electric Tesla Model S and the extended-range hybrid ELR, pointing out the former’s limitations.
“When you get into a Tesla in California to ride to Arizona, you first get on the Tesla website to find out how many stops you are going to have to make to plug in and recharge”, he said. “With the ELR, you won’t have that worry.”
The ELR, he added, will also be available in all states (not only in select markets), and that the brand intends its new hybrid coupe to bring in conquest sales from rivals and not just appeal to its existing customer base.
By Andrew Tsaousis
12 Comments:
“When you get into a Tesla in California to ride to Arizona,..." Most Tesla owners are likely to fly versus drive as do most people who value their time. Robert Ferguson will run Cadillac into the ground with his DC style shenanigans and plans for Cadillac.
Hop in your car, and use the internet capable 17" touchscreen to find out where to stop and plug in. Some Tesla owners are going to properly plan their trip to make it as enjoyable as possible. Others will drive their other car, rent a car, or fly. The Caddilac ELR is nowhere near as good as the Tesla Model S. The car is not better. The infrastructure is.
The infrastructure for gas is far more widespread than electric and has had 100 years to build up. Also, it takes less time to fill up. When Tesla's Supercharger network becomes widespread, long leisurely road trips will become more common.
Yes. Exactly. But even while I might drool over a Tesla more than an ELR, and even though electric infrastructure will hopefully improve, that infrastructure difference might make the ELR a better buy right now for a lot of people.
how far will the caddy run on electricity? 30 or 35 miles. its a gas powered car with SOME mileage out of a couple of batteries. volt is a pos and the caddy is going to be a high priced volt. just what i dont need. diesel or prius would be my choice. oops already have a prius, the second one ive had. anyone with a volt want to see if they can go as far on a 10 gal tank and your batteries fully charged as i can with my prius. i know i can go 500 miles, can you?
Yes Cadillac. Proclaim to the world that your meager hybrid offering is 'nothing like' Motor Trend's Car of the Year. Brilliant Marketing 101.
Tesla wins again...
JUST ANOTHER HIGH PRICED VOLT............NOTHING EXCLUSIVE AT ALLL.............FAKES TRYING TO COPY TESLA..........THEY WILL FAIL.....("we will built on demand ") BULLSHIT....... NOBODY WANTS IT.
The ELR drive platform looks frighteningly similar to the Fisker Karma (i.e. COMPLICATED). Part of the beauty of the Tesla Model S is its mechanical simplicity which will translate into fewer service visits and lower maintenance cost.
I will buy a Tesla...that this POC
Most obvious proof yet that Tesla has truly arrived: GM makes a half-baked attempt to compete with it. The picture of the drive platform says it all....old ICE and partial EV crammed in one space (read your Bible GM...new wine into old wine skins ruins both).
The Tesla, by going all in, has created a car with likely twice the cargo and passenger room as the Caddy, much faster, more nimble, better ride, much, much safer...and likely more reliable. Certainly more efficient. The range is a big issue for long trips but Tesla will have over 100 free, solar powered, supercharger stations capable of full recharge in under an hour. Also, Rice university and others have developed batteries twice as efficient as those currently available....tech that will find it's way to Tesla soon enough with a conceivable option of replacing the current battery pack with something twice as good in the next 5 years. You can remove the Model S pack in less than 10 minutes. Imagine in 5 or 10 years replacing that pack with one that is lighter and can go 600 miles on a single charge. Lithium batteries with crushed silicon (as researched at Rice) makes the tech behind it possible TODAY. It will take several years for testing and safety approval etc. ....but the tech to make EV powertrains twice as good has already arrived. As it stands NOW the Model S is competitive (mostly the best) in every category in it's price range...except for long distance range compared to ICE.
Wow, lots of GM hate! You all seem to forget that GM had a large hand in the way ALL of your lives were shaped! Tesla hasn't sold many cars yet. Chevy has already done the "on demand" production with the Volt, it proves to work well. GM is currently bridging the infrastructure gap. You should all chill out and hope GM does well. The Cadillac version will help offset the Volt's currently high price tag. By the way, the Volt is extremely pleasant to drive.
While the thought of simpler=lower maintenance and thus maintenance costs sounds grand, the reality is more subtle. Volt is not mechanically complicated when compared to a modern car with automatic transmission. And in the two years I've been driving mine, day in and day out, there have been no costs for maintenance. Indeed, no maintenance at all except for an enhancement for the battery and a software update which cost nothing. However, the cost of ownership on a premium car from a newcomer car company with all brand-new designs... well, Model S *is* a great car, no doubt there. But I don't think you'd find the maintenance to be "low" in comparison to a Voltec model at all. My understanding is there is a mandatory inspection each year which is out-of-pocket and not cheap, just for starters. Surprising that you haven't been hearing that Volt owners are among the most highly satisfied of car customers, as all of the rags have been mentioning it. You don't get that level of satisfaction if the car is breaking down all the time, complicated or not. I'm not saying anything against Tesla as I really admire it and want it to succeed. But the argument that a Voltec system is frighteningly complicated is absurd.
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