The Cadillac has just gone electric.
General Motors unveiled a new electric hybrid version of the Cadillac, the ELR, at the Detroit Auto Show this week.
Bob Ferguson, vice president of global Cadillac, told the L.A. Times before the unveiling that the company is hoping the ELR, designed based on Chevrolet’s electric Volt car, will help them make strong sales within Southern Californina, the country’s largest luxury car market.
"In many ways we've struggled on the coasts," Ferguson said. "I see that this car will refresh consideration among Californians."
The ELR is expected by Cadillac to help them compete with California start-up Tesla Motors. The electric car company has projected that they will sell between 20,000 to 30,000 electric cars this year.
Cadillac’s ELR comes equipped with a 5.5-foot-long, 435-pound T-shaped battery that can take the car about 35 miles on electricity.
And if the battery runs out of power? No problem, as a 1.4-Liter onboard gasoline generator can power the car and prevent drivers from being stranded; the system’s power is equal to roughly a gasoline engine's 207 horsepower.
The ELR can also travel up to 35 miles running on only electricity. Though Cadillac has not disclosed the ELR’s fuel economy ratings, they have confirmed that the vehicle will be able to drive in carpool lanes in the Golden State—a feature that could help their sales, as Volt sales jumped 205 percent in 2012 after a newly released version qualified to drive in carpool lanes.
Pricing hasn’t been made available yet, although some are expecting the car to cost between $60,000 and $70,000.
In addition to standing out from other electric cars, the ELR should provide the basis for what the interior of Cadillac cars look like down the road, Mark Adams, executive director of Cadillac global design, told the Detroit Free Press.
“In its simplest terms, the Cadillac ELR is art and science personified,” Adams said.
Video of the ELR at the Detroit Auto Show can be seen below: