Cadillac has decided to take its quite stunning Converj concept from 2009 (which we covered way back when) and move it into production, a very big announcement from GM’s luxury division. Another smart power play from Caddy, who really seem to be hitting on all cylinders at the moment — from the knockout punch of their CTS-V (which we drove in the Gumball Rally), to the new ATS to now entering the Extended Range/EV market. Based on the powertrain of its lower segment Chevy VOLT, the ELR will primarily use an all-electric T-shaped lithium-ion battery drive with zero emission, however it tempers range anxiety by augmenting the EV engine with a petrol-fueled four-cylinder generator that kicks in seamlessly when the battery power dies. It’s a similar move to what Infiniti is doing with the Volt’s main nemesis, the all-electric Nissan LEAF. As we’ve previously covered at the New York Auto Show, Infiniti is taking its lower segment Nissan LEAF and repackaging it from the ground up as a true luxury vehicle, the LE Concept, and moving it into production in the next couple years. The big question is: who will hit showrooms first? Clearly, the race to be the first mass-produced luxury zero emission car will have a big advantage in the market — although Tesla’s Model S certainly warrants some respect, as it’s currently hitting showrooms as we speak.
