General Motors is confirming the Cadillac ELR is still on track for its January 15 unveiling at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. GM’s latest green creation is reportedly based on the Chevy Volt and is slated for production as a 2014 model.
Cadillac chief ELR engineer Christ Thomason says they’re aiming to change the way people view hybrid cars. GM is banking on a feature-laden platform that offers up-scale amenities befitting Caddy’s image, along with the added benefit of electrification. The ELR would most likely compete with the Tesla Model S in the market hole between cars like the Toyota Prius ($24,200) and the Fisker Karma ($96,895). Although pricing hasn’t been announced, we’d bet strongly that the ELR will fall between those two price ranges. The Tesla starts at $52,400.
In this latest picture from Cadillac, the two door hybrid coupe is seen testing in the mountains of Southern California. If built from the same parts bin as the Volt, it will have an 84-horsepower, 1.4-liter four-cylinder gas engine connected to a 55kw electric generator and lithium-ion battery, all turning a 111kw traction motor.
There’s no word on whether Cadillac will change the Volt’s powertrain set-up to suit the luxury market, but those questions should be answered on January 15.
