Many have thought that due to its notoriously weak sales performance, the current-generation of Cadillac’s ELR plug-in EV would be the last. We heard reports in August which supported these rumors, however Cadillac boss Johan de Nysschen recently shot them down during his Q and A with Automobile Magazine.
The new Cadillac CEO, whom General Motors poached from Nissan’s luxury division Infiniti in July, confirmed that the brand will follow up the current ELR with another similar model. It’s not yet clear if it will be called ELR, but if Cadillac uses its newly introduced naming convention for the car, it will use the CT (Cadillac Touring) abbreviation followed by a numeric to name the car.
“I am fascinated by the technology and completely convinced of the longer term potential,” de Nysschen said of the $75,000 ELR. “I read (a news story) recently claiming there will be no ELR successor. I can tell you that’s complete nonsense.”
Cadillac still doesn’t know whether the successor to ELR will be “exactly a compact two-door coupe,” or not, de Nysschen says. No matter how many doors it has or how big it is, it seems likely that just like the current car, the next ELR will borrow powertrain components from the 2016 Chevrolet Volt. On the other hand, we could also see GM making a radical departure from the Volt with the new ELR to ensure the new car doesn’t fall into the same sales slump the current car has. The last thing they want to hear is more false “$75,000 Chevrolet Volt,” comments.
Comments
God damn it. Please tell me its April 1.
Great Move, don’t get rid of it, Improve it, that’s how you become Great!!!! 😉
Yay! A few tweaks of the car in options and if you could please advance the car to get over 200 to 300 miles on a electric charge before going to the gas engine… and don’t adjust the price at all, and of course better marketing and… a winner is born, again!
I’ll vent a moment… with only 38 miles on a electric charge before the gas engine, is this car marketed for electric use or gas? I would say at 200 electric miles plus, your talking electric only with that nicely desired gas back up for when getting home to charge is just that 3 miles too far! I think the Volt/ELR is still the very best package on the market. And for the price, its is awful that The Volt has been to market a few years before the ELR to establish the price but a Cadillac isn’t that much more over a Chevy for the very same thing. Yes of course the Caddy has a few more tech advancements and better leather seats but to me, it’s not justified for a double the price tag. $20K I can understand and expect.
If the new ’16 Volt has some impressive changes and a much better dash layout, I will go to a Volt! Im curious now to hear more of the next ELR and it’s changes.
All this is are my thoughts only, all subject to argument of course.
“We must develop corporate processes, policies, mindsets, behaviors, attitudes, which are right sized for Cadillac and which are immersed in focusing on and responding to what it takes to win in the premium segment. No distractions . No side shows. No cross- brand corporate considerations. No homogenized lowest common denominator approach. Just pure, unadulterated, CLASS.” — Johan de Nysschen.
Watch out BMW and Mercedes-Benz — Cadillac has you figured out to a T.
Give ’em Hell, Johan. They’ve been riding the gravy train far too long.