Initial sales of the 2014 Cadillac ELR electrified luxury coupé will begin in January in all major U.S. metropolitan areas featuring interesting coupé design and extended range electric vehicle technology as seen in Chevrolet’s Volt and Vauxhall’s Ampera.
Designed for a new generation of technology-driven luxury buyers, the 2014 ELR has a starting price of $75,995 (approx. £47,000), including a $995 (approx. £615) destination charge but excluding tax, title, license and dealer fees. American purchasers may be eligible for a tax credit from the IRS of up to $7,500 (approx. £4600).
Bob Ferguson, senior vice president Global Cadillac, said,
“The ELR is a unique blend of dramatic design with electric vehicle technology capable of total range in excess of 300 miles. ELR is also unique in that it will be offered nationwide within a luxury customer experience, with proven benefits and care extending from the shopping process all the way through the ownership experience.”
As will come as no surprise to seasoned EV owners, American dealers nationwide have been specially trained and certified to sell and service the 2014 ELR. Backing up the dealership experience, prospective customers and buyers of the ELR can take advantage of their own ELR Concierge Representative. Trained in white-glove customer care, the Concierge Representative is an additional point of contact for information on battery care, home charging, service scheduling, news and updates over the phone.
As with all Cadillac models, the ELR comes standard with Cadillac Shield, a comprehensive suite of owner benefits including Remote Vehicle Diagnostics, a Premium Care Maintenance program and 24/7 roadside assistance. For added peace of mind, the ELR also comes with an extended battery and propulsion warranty of eight years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first, and a four-year or 50,000-mile, whichever comes first, bumper-to-bumper limited warranty. This warranty and service ought to put fears of EV ownership well and truly to rest since most concerns amongst owners tends to lie with the battery itself.
The ELR comes equipped with standard advanced technology features such as Cadillac CUE with Navigation accessible through a large, eight-inch, full-color capacitive-touch screen, LED front and rear exterior lighting, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Alert, the Safety Alert Seat and the exclusive Regen on Demand™ feature, allowing the driver to temporarily regenerate energy from the vehicle’s momentum via steering-wheel paddles – an innovative feature we at AutoVolt Magazine are looking forward to trying out.
The ELR interior features hand crafted leather complemented by authentic wood grain and chrome trim.
As in the Volt and Ampera, the ELR is a powered by a combination of pure electric drive and an efficient, range-extending 1.4L petrol engine who’s sole purpose is generating electricity to charge the battery which in turn gives power to the electric drive.
The battery is T-shaped, 16.5 kWh lithium-ion, and located along the centre of the vehicle, between the front and rear wheels to give good weight distribution.
ELR is capable of a total driving range in excess of 300 miles. Using only the energy stored in the battery, ELR’s initial range is about 35 highway miles, or 82 MPGe, of pure electric driving, depending on terrain, driving techniques and ambient temperature. Official EPA estimates will be available soon.
The ELR also offers unique driving features, including four driving modes – default Tour mode, the more-responsive Sport mode, a Mountain mode that maintains charge in hilly terrain and Hold mode, which allows drivers to select when to use battery power or the petrol-powered generator.
Lastly, there is of course Cadillacs clever noise reduction system which you can read about here.
Source; Cadillac
