The new Cadillac ELR will offer more power and torque than its cousin, the Chevy Volt, but it may have to trade some efficiency to get it.
Preliminary numbers released by General Motors indicate that the ELR will top out at 295 lb-ft of torque, versus the Volt's 273 lb-ft. It will also offer peak power ranging from 160 HP to 180 HP, whereas the Chevy Volt checks in at 149 HP. The result might be a slight drop in all-electric range, Cadillac engineers said at the vehicle's unveiling at the recent North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.
"This is one of the tough decisions -- how much do we balance toward performance versus efficiency?" Darin Gesse, marketing product manager for electrified vehicles at General Motors, told Design News. "In the end, we will probably give up a little efficiency to get the performance."
Click on the image below to check out the Cadillac ELR
Cadillac's ELR, based on the Converj concept car, will be the only electric vehicle offered by a full-line luxury automaker when it reaches production in 2013. (Source: Cadillac)
Cadillac introduced the Volt's upscale cousin to huge crowds at NAIAS, calling it a blend of "art and science -- the artistic expression of innovative technology." The new vehicle will look racier than the Volt and will offer more luxurious touches, such carbon fiber elements in the decorative trim, as well as authentic wood and suede in the interior. The ELR will also feature the well-known Cadillac CUE infotainment system, which uses natural voice recognition, capacitive touch, and hand gesture communication.
The ELR will employ the same powertrain as the Volt, with the familiar 16.6kWh, T-shaped lithium-ion battery serving as a power source. Despite using the identical battery, however, the ELR's all-electric range is expected to be a few miles less than that of the 2013 Volt, which features a 38-mile range. Cadillac engineers wouldn't say what the final figure will be, however. "We will probably withhold any EV range announcements until we get an EPA estimate," Gesse told Design News. "We want to be able to deliver whatever we promise."
GM engineers reportedly considered changing the battery pack for the ELR, but ultimately decided that the 16.5kWh unit was the right size. "We found that most Americans drive between 35 to 40 miles each day," Gesse said. "And the ELR is meant to be charged overnight. So this size will meet the needs of most Americans to drive gas-free on their average commute. Giving them a bigger battery would just mean they'll be carrying around more mass."
Gesse said the ELR's higher performance will be reached through "software tweaks," since all of the powertrain hardware will essentially be identical to that of the Volt.
Higher horsepower and torque is consistent with the Cadillac theme, Gesse added. Cadillac customers expect to buy high-tech vehicles that provide enthusiast-type performance. "People are going to stop them on the side of the road and say, 'What kind of car is that?' " Gesse told us. "Our customers love that."
Cadillac ELR Specs:
EPA vehicle class: Compact car
Chemistry: Lithium-ion
Cells: 288 prismatic
Energy: 16.5kWh
IC engine: 1.4L DOHC I4
Electric motors: drive motor 117-135 kW; generator motor, 55 kW
Torque: 295 lb-ft
Charging times: 120V, about 12 hours; 240V, about 4.5 hours
I repeat my self for efficiancy of vehicles the design mus be taken away from car companys. They continue to insist on weight unbecoming of a highly effficiant people mover. They will end up with a hybird auto that get 15 mpg and think its perfect. The electric of the future will go 100 miles per charge and exchange the battery in the time it takes to fill a tank with gas or less. The entire car including the suspension will be carbon fiber. The operator may stand the car on its back side when parking to save space. It seems so simple. Henery Ford where are you?
That is exactly what I thought, Jennifer--that people who typically buy a Cadillac would look for a certain type of performance from an ELR from that manufacturer. But if it's not so much different than a Volt, it seems silly to sacrifice efficiency, which sort of defeats the purpose, I would think.
My impression of the Cadillac owners that I have known is that they seldom ask "how much" in reference to something that they want. So for those self-imdulgent individuals it may be just the right choice.
There is a whole large segment of the population to whom style means far more than substance, and I would certainly hate for the economic situation to worsen enough to change their attitude. Not that I think it is smart or good in any way, but that if things were bad enough to change it, we would all be suffering a lot.
So the Cadillac ELR is probably one good attempt to show that an electric or hybrid vehicle does not need to include any compromise in creature comforts, which would probably advance the cause of electric vehicles somewhat. Besides that, it should be one more thing that GM has been doing right recently, which would improve the economy a bit and therefore benefit us alll, at least a little bit.
With four drivers in our household (1 off at college, 1 driving to varsity practice, and Mom & Dad driving to 2 different employers) we currently own 3 Toyota Corollas and 1 Jeep Grand Cherokee. We own the SUV for the "U". Even if we won the lottery and upgraded to three new Prius Hybrids, we would still keep the "U". We need a vehicle to tow 7500 pounds, to carry those big boxes from the big box store, and to haul odds and ends for my wife's school because all of the 24-year old teachers are still driving their college hatchbacks. I just don't see many young families financing 65K for a hybrid SUV. I also don't know why folks would purchase an electric Cadillac so that the first 30 miles can run on electricity generated by the local coal-burning power plant. At least in my extended family, most Cadillacs are owned by retirees that use them for long road trips, not 15-mile commutes into the city to their desk jobs... I'm not sure why the technology appears to be driving customer demand rather than customer demand driving the technology...
In the end I think the market place is currently showing that the consumer wants to have something that might be called green but doesn't want to give up power and performance. There are still a lot of people still buying SUVs instead of hybrids.
I think it's a good step. Most consumers still believe that more hp is good. Even if it's wasted in their driving habits. It will take time to get people to realise that more power doesn't equal a better car.
By highlighting this now, GM may have an open window to introduce an update that is more efficient but with less "performance" as we define it today.
It takes time to change consumers' habits and desires.
It's not yet known how much range will be traded for performance, but whatever it is, I don't think that GM engineers consider it critical in comparison to the performance that Cadillac buyers want. Remember, the ELR is actually a plug-in hybrid, not a pure electric car. So even if the all-electric range drops by four or five miles (that's my hypothetical figure, not a GM figure), it's still backed by 300 miles of gasoline-based range. When you drive the ELR's cousin, the Volt, the changeover between all-electric and gasoline is almost unnoticeable because the drive mechanism remains the same. The same will go for the ELR. Given that, I can understand why Cadillac is doing this. If Cadillac owners have to dish out a few extra cents to pay for gasoline, most of them won't fret. But performance is a big issue to them.
I had the same thought, naperlou - why trade range for performance? But, the more I think about it, the more I realize that the people buying Cadillac over Volt are probably looking for the performance factor. Another reader called the ELR a wolf in Volt's clothing. Maybe they are simply paying for the nameplate/prestige of owning a "Cadi." Chuck, has the list price on this car been made public yet?
The ELR looks to be a Volt in sheep's clothing. I can't see a luxuty car owner being happy with a 35 mile electric range. I think GM should have done something to get ba better electric range.
I'm with you, naperlou. I would think ELR owners wouldn't worry so much about power and instead are focused on efficiency. But maybe because of Cadillac's brand identity, power is a selling point. I guess time will tell.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 4
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
25 
