Cadillac's electrified coupe will share Volt's powertrain, arrive in 2014 as a 2014 model. www.GMInsideNews.com
April 30, 2012
By: Nick Saporito
Last week GM’s OnStar telematics division accidentally leaked the 2014 GM vehicle roster on their website. Obviously the 2014 roster was a bit early as most of GM’s 2013 models are not even on the streets yet, but nonetheless the OnStar screw-up managed to ignite new speculation about a couple new products. One such product is the Cadillac ELR, the luxury brand’s upcoming extended range electric car.
In August 2011 Cadillac officially announced plans to produce the Converj Concept car, a small coupe wearing a sexy design theme and the Chevrolet Volt’s extended range electric drive system, Voltec. The announcement was reluctant on the part of GM, who was forced into making the ELR official after Green Car Reports obtained leaked information about the car’s production plans. Despite the official announcement, few details on the production version have surfaced. Specifically, the timing of the ELR has been kept under tight wraps, until now.
GMI has been able to confirm with product development sources that OnStar’s flub is correct. The ELR will launch as a 2014 model year vehicle, but production will not begin until very late 2013 calendar year, meaning this will be a late arrival for the 2014 model year.
Additionally, GMI has been able to confirm that the ELR will utilize the exact same Voltec powertrain as the Chevrolet Volt. The Volt is expected to receive several enhancements for the 2014 model year, with those enhancements being carried over to the ELR as well. GMI has not been able to verify the enhancements, however it has been speculated that both Volt and ELR will see larger EV ranges than today’s 30-40 miles.
At the time of publication ELR is expected in coupe form only. Months ago rumors and speculation surfaced about the possibility of other variants, but GMI has confirmed that only the coupe will be produced.
For 2014 model year the ELR will only be sold on the North American market, but expect the ELR to be exported to Europe and China alongside the Volt the following year.
If it looked like that it would sell.
We all know it won't.
Cadillac keeps showing concepts with these more elegant grills and they never show up on the production cars. Still the same gaudy inelegant grill treatments
Here's hoping that they can keep the grille on the concept since the Volt doesnt require a grill either then there would be no need to change whats on the concept, unless it doesnt meet some saftey criteria.
FWD is no issue at all for this vehicle. In the future it would be nice to see a RWD (or at least AWD) variant, but for now, why add the weight and design issues until they get to Gen II or Gen III. It's a showcase of technological power - as long as it handles a little better than the current Volt, and has a little higher NVH - it will be a great proposition.
Agreed. I have no problem with this being a decked out Volt. It will likely have an advanced CUE system. I would like to see things like Hiperstrut and magnetic ride control to set it apart from the Volt in the handling department. Also would like to see lighting similar to what's found on the XTS, heated and cooled power seats and a sun/moonroof option.
I'm a little surprised that the powertrain will be the same as the Volt. I would have thought the Cadillac version would want to differentiate itself a bit more. This doesn't affect me, as I don't have the resources to buy one, but I do find that a bit puzzling.
GM should never have put the Volt in as a Chevy. It should have been a Cadillac from the very beginning. At this point, why would anyone want to pay a premium that they already are as a Chevy????
Your right nobody every buy's Chevy's that are worth more than 40K. Nobody buy's Corvettes, or decent featured Silverado's or Tahoe's. And certainly nobody is going to buy the new SS sedan by your logic or a well featured 2014 Impala.
Plain and simple there are lots of Chevy's that sell north of 40K and there are lots of cars that sells north of 40K. There is plenty of market for the Volt.
My concern is that the similarities between the two cars as far as powertrains is concerned will limit the pricing of the ELR. Personally I had hoped that the ELR would add performance and range in relation to the Volt. I understand that the the Infiniti LEaf will also not offer any performance or range benefits over the Leaf as well.
My concern is that the similarities between the two cars as far as powertrains is concerned will limit the pricing of the ELR. Personally I had hoped that the ELR would add performance and range in relation to the Volt. I understand that the the Infiniti LEaf will also not offer any performance or range benefits over the Leaf as well.
Hmmm really?....what a disappointment, I would see no real advantage of buying the Infiniti "Leaf" over the Nissan Leaf beyond the luxury nameplate alone if this is true.
But to the original OP I would surmise that the Gen II Voltec will be out by 14'? I think with some slight gearing changes and additional HP would more than justify the price premium for the ELR over the Volt. Just speculation for now but worth noting.
Don't know what the ELR will cost but if it's more than 10 grand higher than the Volt, I can't see people paying the extra premium. That would be a Loy of money for a car that does 0-60 in 10 seconds. Seems the ELR will be a sheep in wolf's clothing.
All of this speculation is based on the assumption that the Volt will remain exactly as it is today.
We already know that enhancements will be made to the Voltec drivetrain technology and the price will invariably be coming down. The parity will hopefully ensure that the ELR pricing is reasonable.
Love the idea of this thing, all I can say is that with these updates, range better increase as well as not NEEDING prmium fuel for the gas engine. Yes you'll rarely use it but not requiring to use prmium I think will make the car look better.
The gasoline engine does apply power directly to the wheels in certain situations but even then it is assisted by electric power to the electric motor.
Wow! What a boneheaded business decision. Will not sell more than 5,000 units - won't make a profit - isn't good enough to be a halo product, and is ugly to boot. More taxpayer dollars being wasted.
Sorry to sidetrack the thread a little bit, but if GM confirmed the release of the ELR, but chose not to say anything about the other slipe up (SS Sedan) it leads me to believe they have something special in store for that car.
The Volt was designed for Efficiency...so like others have said, they can do a lot to boost performance. (at the cost of mileage).
I do think the ELR will have more range and more performance and more features for more money....from a larger battery and using the latest battery technology or some other trick.
I just want it to have swing up doors...having normal doors on an design this striking is a let down.
...with a disregard for price. ELR will help to realign priorities. Too much emphasis was placed on an "electric only" experience for Volt. That's why the HOLD button was withheld. It's also why the engine was tuned more for performance rather than efficiency. With a more efficient engine, a smaller-battery could have been used, which would have lowered price. There's always tradeoffs of some sort.
Having the choice of a Cadillac will allow the Chevy model to become something for middle-market.
I'm happy that GM is giving Cadillac the next version of Voltec and having the guts to go with a coupe. The only real problem I see is if they can't keep a handle on the cost. You have to remember there will be a fantastic ATS coupe that will be cheaper, roomier, less complex, and more sporty.
I think the ELR is going to have to offer incredible styling (not watered down) and plenty of tech over the ATS to make a successful run at it.
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