If you walk into a GM dealership with enough cash to buy a Chevrolet Volt, you’d also have enough to walk out with a nice Cadillac CTS luxury sedan. If you adjust for the Federal tax credit, you’d have to settle for the Cadillac ATS.
So it makes sense that GM is finally coming out with a luxury version of the Volt. The official public unveiling of the Cadillac ELR, as the new car is called, with be at the Detroit auto show next week, but the company released a photo of a camouflaged version of the car today. Production is set to start late this year. No word yet on the cost.
The luxury market could be the sweet spot for electric vehicles. The Volt and the Nissan Leaf are middle-of-the-road sedans in terms of appearance, in spite of their high price tags. But the added cost comes from a propulsion system that is both quiet and responsive, features that would be appealing in luxury vehicles. Indeed, Tesla’s electric Model S, a luxury sedan, has been a hit.