Cadillac ELR PHEV
GMC has been quite busy lately, and one of their most ambitious
endeavors is the Cadillac ELR plug-in hybrid. They may wish
to capitalize on a segment of the driving population beyond
luxury car drivers. That demographic group would be those drivers
in the Green movement, who prefer hybrids or other non-gasoline
powered vehicles.
The Cadillac ELR makes use of the same plug-in type drive train
as General Motors' Chevy Volt. You won't find the same 149 horsepower
as the Volt, though. The ELR has 207 horsepower. Torque rises
too, from the Volt's 273 to the ELR's 295.
You can travel up to about 35 miles on only electric power
with the ELR. The total range including gas power is over 300
miles. It has been said that the mpg will qualify the ELR to
use the carpool lanes in California. The sales of Volts rose
by over 200% after Chevy released a Volt that qualified for
use in the carpool lane.
The Cadillac ELR, like its smaller cousin the Volt, is a front-wheel-drive
vehicle, with a single-speed transmission. The ELR has steering-wheel
mounted paddles. The paddles don't shift the gears of the transmission
- they increase the regenerative brake resistance, which slows
down the vehicle without the use of the brake pedal.
Cadillac included a few other features that make the ELR sportier
than a lot of hybrid vehicles. They include 20-inch wheels,
a Sport mode the driver can select and revised suspension. The
body style is also progressive. It features an impressive chrome
grille that hides the active shutters for drag reduction. Vertical
headlights also make the front end more sport-inspired.
Inside the ELR, you'll find the CUE touchscreen infotainment
system standard. This system has not had rave reviews, but Cadillac
went with it for this model. Designers also feel that the quality
and materials of the interior will set new GM standards.
If you charge your ELR at home, it will take about 12 hours
in a 120 volt outlet, but only 4.5 hours if you use a dedicated
240 volt outlet. The price of the ELR is expected to run between
sixty and seventy thousand dollars when they hit the ground
in 2014.
Cadillac ELR production will mark the first time that General
Motors has engineered a plug-in luxury hybrid. It will be made
at the same GM plant that produces the Chevy Volt. It will be
introduced in the United States shortly after production starts.
Executives and designers feel that the Cadillac ELR will be
in a class all its own, and will prove that GM is committed
to advanced technology and electric vehicles. It may have a
different power train, but the look will be unmistakably Cadillac.
Like the Chevy Volt, the Cadillac ELR will run on only electric
power from its battery until its charge begins to run low. Then
the gas-powered generator will automatically kick in, which
will add hundreds more miles to the range.
GM officials would like to double their 2010 U.S. Cadillac
sales by the year 2015. They feel that the ELR hybrid will allow
them to compete for the top spot among luxury automobiles sold
in the United States.
|
