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Volt-Like Cadillac ELR To Hit Dealerships In 2013

August 31, 2012 by 13 Comments
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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: The LeftLane News

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About Christopher DeMorro

Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs. You can follow his slow descent into madness and non-nonsensical ramblings on Twitter @harshcougar.

  • Marc P.

    Where is my “Volt-type” SUV ???

    • http://importantmedia.org/members/joborras/ Jo Borras

      Toyota claims their Prius V is an SUV.

  • Ziv

    Getting the ELR into production by December 2013, as rumored, would be a great way for GM to leverage the investment they have made into the Voltec technology. An EREV minivan or CUV would be even better in the long run, but a true luxury EREV would give even diehard Volt haters a bitter pill to swallow. Will the ELR get another 200,000 $7500 tax credits or is it too close in design to the Volt to qualify for another series of credits?
    GM sold 326 in Dec 2010, 7600 in 2011, and looks to sell 22,000+ in 2012, so they won’t burn through the 200,000 tax credits until 2016 at the earliest, unless the ELR and other new EREVs count against that total. And even after they reach 200k credits awarded, you can still get a $3750 credit, which isn’t chump change since the price of the EREVs will have dropped substantially by then.
    Interesting days.

    • http://MrEnergyCzar.com MrEnergyCzar

      We’re still operating under Bush’s 2008 EV credit for the first 200,000 EVs sold in the states for car makers combined….it’s not car company specific. I think Obama was trying to expand on it after it runs out but it hasn’t yet.?

      MrEnergyCzar

  • America1st

    Obama wants a much better – $10,000 per car credit right at the point of sale. That will do the trick. Once economies of scale kick in, this approach to automobiliing in the USA will be the standard – an AMerica FREE FROM FOREIGN TERRORIST FUNDING OIL .

  • America1st

    Two Iraq wars alone cost us over $2 trillion dollars. And still, the $450 billion dollar annual addiction to foreign payments for tar heroin in the terrorist funding middle east continue. Let’s face it, the economics are there – we could BUY EVERY AMERICAN a Volt, or some electric car, BUILT HERE, AND FUELED BY AMERICAN ENERGY AND WORKERS and still be hundreds of billions ahead. Why politics ruin this is beyond me.

  • laspaled

    How shallow are we as a society to accept that a vehicle with one name-plate is not as valuable as another. As far as I am concerned the Cadillac version of the Volt will be overpriced by $20,000 as the same car can be had with the Chevy name-plate. Anyone here remember the Cadillac Cimarron?

    • http://importantmedia.org/members/joborras/ Jo Borras

      This should hardly surprise you anymore. It’s been 10 years since they re-badged a $40,000 VW as a $240,000 Bentley and the f***ing Bentley version OUTSELLS the Volkswagen. Look at all the jackamoes driving around in full-size pickup trucks hauling notagoddamnedthing, for that matter!

    • ra5928

      I remember the Cimarron. But I also remember the first generation CTS. Nice car, but who knew? I’m sure the ELR is not going to be a Cimarron. While I love my Volt, my next car will be an ELR. I drove Cads for over 30 years and I wouldn’t trade all of them combined for my Volt, unless I could sell them and buy a new Volt. I’m pretty sure there will be other differances. If not, I’ll stick to the Volt.

  • Pingback: Luxury hybrid Cadillac ELR hitting streets in 2013 - Greener Ideal

  • http://solarvolt.wordpress.com solarvolt

    Yeah, it is really unfair to compare the Volt to ANY other car. The Volt is clearly the next generation. It would be like comparing horse and buggies to the gas car. Going back to gas is like going back to horse and buggies.
    The ELR is sweet. I was going to wait for an ELR, glad I didn’t wait. Loving the Volt. My best range has been 59.2 miles and my average is around 50 miles in warm weather so far.

  • http://www.HighAboveTexas.com Sterling

    I bought a 2012 Volt in June, mainly because I had to drive nearly 90 miles back and forth to treatments in a larger community. Fortunately, I have a second property in this community and I was able to install a second 220 volt charger there, in addition to the 220 charger at my prime residence.

    I had been driving my 4-wheel drive back and forth, costing very close to $50 in gasoline, when it was high. I am now making the same trip in my Volt on electricity, for about the cost of less than 4 bottles of water that I buy at a local convenience store.

    My Volt has been so incredible in how it runs and drives and comfortable at the same time, that I am asking my wife to consider buying a Cadillac ELR when they become available.

    This technology is stunning, and naysayers who have been slamming the Volt are people who have never even ridden in one.

    I was able to drive my Volt 71 miles on a test I conducted at slower speeds, just to see what the worst case scenario would be if something (again) happened to gasoline supplies. Google “Chevrolet Volt Flickr High Above Texas 70 miles” and you should be able to find my 90 second video showing this test…

    • http://www.HighAboveTexas.com Sterling

      I forgot to mention, since buying my Volt in June, I have not yet even pulled into a gas station. My Volt has only used 3.7 gallons of gas this entire time, and that was gasoline the dealership put into it before I purchased my Volt…
      Here is the link to my video and it shows the 3.7 total gallons used.
      http://www.flickr.com/photos/southwestusa/7983003532/