The Cadillac ELR is an extended range electric vehicle [EREV] with some very cool features, but doesn’t seem to be a stepping stone to a pure electric vehicle for the near future.
The Cadillac ELR is based roughly on the same technology as the Chevy Volt, including a battery pack, electric motors, and a gasoline-powered range extender. Interior and exterior design are uniquely Cadillac, and no one will mistake it for being a Chevy, unless they know what they’re looking at. The coupe has somewhat cramped rear seats and 20” wheels, definitely not Mom’s Taxi.
The ELR looks every bit the showpiece that it is, and is built to look different and act different. Suspension will be more agile, and changes in programming will allow for more spirited acceleration [read: less EV range]. When asked if there will be electric vehicles or more EREVs in Cadillac’s future, Cadillac Marketing Vice-President Don Butler responded, “We are looking at this as a long-term journey, so alternative propulsion will continue to be important to GM and to the Cadillac brand. Another full EREV? I can’t say. But I don’t see a pure EV on the near-term horizon for Cadillac”
