General Motors has begun shipping the highly-anticipated 2014 Cadillac ELR to dealers across North America. Introduced back in January at the 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, the ELR is the luxury brand’s first extended-range electric vehicle and considered a game changer for Cadillac.
Using technology pioneered in the Chevrolet Volt (which is assembled at the same plant in Hamtramck, Mich. on the outskirts of Detroit), the ELR uses an electric motor and battery pack to provide energy and power to the wheels, relying on a 1.4-litre, four-cylinder gasoline engine as a range-extending generator for the battery system when required. Collectively, both the electric motor and gasoline generator enable the ELR to provide a total driving range of 300 miles (480 km).
Although initial demand is expected to be small, the ELR will likely give Cadillac dealers a further boost in profile by serving as an image builder for showroom traffic. Given that it represents the first extended-range electric vehicle to be offered by a luxury automotive brand, it could also likely bring new buyers into the fold, especially considering that electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles continue remain a media focal point, as well as a topic of interest among technology savvy and often, influential consumers.
