2013 is shaping up to be a great year, at least for us car guys. It’s only January and there have been so many hot new cars unveiled already, can’t wait to see what the rest of the year brings us. The latest new car unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show is the 2014 Cadillac ELR Hybrid Coupe.
At first I thought the ELR Coupe was a concept, but it’s actually going into production and will be available in the fall of 2013. The car is an extended-range hybrid using technology borrowed from the Chevrolet Volt electric car.
Unlike most of the other cars I’ve written about recently, I don’t have any pet-peeves with the design of the ELR coupe. It has a very sporty look to it and looks like the CTS coupe with ATS styling, making it the equivalent of an ATS Coupe. The car rides on sporty 20” wheels and all the lights on the outside are LED. The interior looks very luxurious with lots of leather and soft-touch material everywhere. The center console has a large touch-screen that should control the HVAC, entertainment, navigation etc.
The Cadillac ELR Hybrid Coupe may look sporty, and it might be, but it is a front wheel drive and an electric car. The car weighs 4,070 pounds (1,846 kg) and is powered by a combined horsepower of 181 (154 kW) electric motor and gasoline engines with 295 pound-feet (400 Nm) of torque. The 1.4 liter range-extender gasoline engine produces 84 HP, it charges the batteries when the car runs out of juice and is the same system as the Volt. The car houses a lithium-ion battery pack that’s said to be a bit lighter than the Volt’s, with a range of 35 miles (50 km). Recharging the batteries on a 120v outlet takes about 12 hours and 4.5 hours on a 240v charging station.
2014 Cadillac ELR Hybrid Coupe Picture Gallery
[Source: GM]
