One common knock against the Chevy Volt is its high price, coming in at a whopping $40,000 (give or take) before tax credits. If only GM had launched the Volt as a Cadillac, people might complain less.
Well GM is doing just that, and the Volt-like Cadillac ELR is set to hit dealerships starting in 2013.
The Luxury Hybrid For American Tastes
The Chevy Volt is GM’s freshman effort at building a plug-in hybrid, and the company is reportedly set to break its sales record this month…though the Volt factory is also going offline for 4 weeks. It is still an up-or-down car, though a Cadillac version could be just what the doctor ordered.
Details are short, though it was revealed that Cadillac will also be getting a new CTS sedan, as well as an all-new Escalade. That pretty much cancels out any environmental good the plug-in hybrid ELR could do, though the $60,000 price point could mean that GM might actually start profiting off of its Voltec technology.
So Much Potential, So Much Profit?
That said, rumors are also swirling that an all-new Volt on an all-new platform is just a few more years out. The new, unnamed platform will no doubt have the Voltec architecture worked into it, which should save weight and give the Volt/ELR a longer range than its current 35-mile rating. Rumors are also swirling that the Cadillac ELR could get 20-inch rims and, even better, rear-wheel drive. Yet we may not have to wait too much longer for such improvements. The ELR will reportedly wear an evolved version of the Volt’s current drivetrain. That could mean a more-efficient gas generator, more powerful electric motors, and more efficiency from front to back.
But I think the biggest difference will be that Cadillac badge. After all, if you’re going to spend that much money on a hybrid, shouldn’t it be a little more prestigious than a Chevy?
Source: Gas2.0
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