Along with all of the happenings at Auto Shanghai, General Motors issued a press release stating that it plans to launch the upcoming Cadillac ELR plug-in EREV coupe in the Chinese market along with the upcoming ATS, XTS and next-generation CTS. To this day, Cadillac has seen minimal success in China, but with plans to expand the lineup while increasing local production for the market, change could very well be on the horizon, as it plays to GM’s strategy of selling 100,000 Cadillacs annually in China by 2016.
For now, however, Cadillac remains silent on the details of the ELR. All we know is that it will be a plug-in luxury coupe, and judging by these spy photos, that it will indeed borrow a lot of elements from the Chevrolet Volt, but is expected to feature a different powertrain.
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Dam if that ELR isn’t sexy as hell.. When do you expect it to release and how fast will it be in say zero to 60mph? Take a guess…have some fun…and lets hear about it on your next podcast! 😉
jeeeeeeze i can’t believe how gorgeous that is. this is how a cadillac should look, absolutely drop dead
Let’s expect a slightly larger battery pack ( or at least more energy-dense ). As proven by GM’s extensive battery-tech investments over the last couple years, and the Warren, Michigan lab accident the other day – GM is working hard pushing the limits to reduce the weight of lithium packs and increasing their power density.
A big WOW would be a smaller, yet more energy-dense pack – and longer range than Volt. This has to be expected with significant ELR competition already existing in Fisker Karma and Tesla Model S. ELR needs a better genset unit than Volt. I wonder what Caddy has up it’s sleeves as the gas plant – aluminum block? Atkinson cycle? The Cadillac Voltec needs to outshine Volt in quickness to 60mph and range for a Cadillac pricepoint. GM has been quoted as saying production ELR will “surprise many” at how true it stays to the concept car, so it will have a way sexy body and interior – WHAT A LOOKER!
Big problem is A123, who is really struggling right now. I say it’s not too late to put an LG or Panasonic pack in ELR and use A123s for Spark and Sonic EVs. Remember the Fiskers that recently were recalled for dead, paperweight batteries – and, of course, the embarrassing Consumer Reports’ dead A123 test Karma… A123 can get it together, of course, and more power to an American company, albeit one who makes their packs in China. I do believe the Lithium Iron Phosphate or LiFePo batteries that A123 pioneered do have great potential, but so far they are showing major flaws. If you are familar with Go-Ped, an American company that makes the best stand-up scooters in the industry…They found that their SLA, lead acid scooters could go over twice as far on Li Ion but the cost was staggering. They offered a “compromise” LiFePo version of their E-Scooter with nearly the performance of Li Ion at a significant price cut. Those scooters were on the market about six months before they pulled them due to issues with the LiFePo battery’s reliability. This tells me LiFePo has work to be done. Kind of shaky when Cadillac’s premier WOW machine – halo car may have A123s inside.
My call would be for ELR to stick with the LG Chem packs for now.
Here’s my question o’ the day: Which is better? An American company who makes it’s batteries in China, or a S. Korean company ( LG Chem ) who makes it’s batteries in Michigan?
I see the ATS in this car already…….nice 🙂