Since Chevrolet announced its plans to build the all-electric...er..."range extending" Volt, Agent 001 and I discussed the possibility of its failure/success. Right away 001 was keen to call it as he saw it and labeled it the "next Edsel."
After driving it, I have to say I was somewhat impressed but there was one significant problem: It DID cost quite a bit of coin and its interior wasn't the most pleasant place to be. And while we all know the Volt went through significant Research & Development, that's not exactly something you want to have to explain to your family, friends and neighbors when they ask "You really paid $40,000 for that?"
I posited, even before I experienced it, that General Motors should introduce this product as a Cadillac then it would be able to: get away with a higher barrier of entry, recoup more of the R&D costs through a higher profit margin AND it could brush off poor sales as a snob-infested market that wasn't ready for high-technology solutions.
It went with the Chevy.
Now it looks like we're ready to get a taste of the Converj-tastic ELR. Look for concept-like styling and an overall package similar to the Volt. No word if it will be the exact same powertrain setup or if there will be some tweaks involved.
The Cadillac ELR will make its debut at the Detroit Motor Show in January. The ELR is essentially a luxury, two-door coupe version of the four-door Chevrolet Volt and Vauxhall Ampera.
The design of the ELR is based on the Converj concept car, which was shown at the 2009 Detroit Motor Show, and is likely to feature the same Voltec range-extender powertrain as the Volt and Ampera...
Read Article