The Cadillac Converj was a two-door, four-passenger luxury coupe concept with an extended-range electric drivetrain, shown at the 2009 North American International Auto Show. It survived a series of cancellations and reversals to become the production Cadillac ELR.
Cadillac Converj at a glance
| Maker | Cadillac, General Motors |
|---|---|
| Shown | January 2009, North American International Auto Show |
| Type | two-door, four-passenger plug-in hybrid coupe concept |
| Drivetrain | derived from the Chevrolet Volt Voltec system |
| Production car | Cadillac ELR |
| ELR production | 2014 and 2016 model years |
| ELR price | about $75,000 |
| ELR electric range | 37-39 miles (60-63 km) |
| ELR top speed | 106 mph (171 km/h) |
| ELR built | just under 3,000 |
| ELR styling direction | Tim Kozub |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the ELR, which also tells the Converj story. No free photographs of the Converj were found.
History of the Cadillac Converj
General Motors showed the Converj at the Detroit show in January 2009, a coupe using a retuned version of the Chevrolet Volt’s Voltec extended-range electric drivetrain. In April 2009 reports said GM had approved production for 2012, which GM denied, describing the Converj as “a concept vehicle undergoing a review”. In August 2009 the vice chairman Robert Lutz was reported to want the car built, possibly as early as 2014, and at the 2010 Detroit show he told analysts that the Converj was “cleared for production”, though not for a year or two.
Cancelled, then revived
In March 2010 reports said GM had ended work on the Converj because it could not offer enough equipment and electric range to be compelling and still make a profit. The project was caught up in GM’s bankruptcy and restructuring. In August 2011 GM reversed the decision and announced that the concept would go into production as the Cadillac ELR, at a price below the Tesla Model S, using the same Voltec powertrain as the Volt and built at the same plant. Testing of ELR prototypes began in mid-2012.
The ELR
The production car was styled under the exterior design direction of Tim Kozub and shown at the 2013 Detroit show, with deliveries in the United States and Canada from December 2013. Its Voltec system combined a 119-135 kW electric motor, a four-cylinder engine-generator and a 16.5 kWh battery, giving an official electric range of 37 miles and a total range of 340 miles. The price of about $75,000 was $35,000 above the Volt it shared its powertrain with. Manufacture ended in February 2016 with just under 3,000 built, after a 2016 model year that skipped 2015, cut the price by $10,000 and raised output from 217 to 233 hp.
Design and features
- Voltec drivetrain: an electric motor, a petrol engine-generator and a lithium-ion battery, as in the Chevrolet Volt.
- Extended range: 37-39 miles of electric running and a total range of about 340 miles.
- Coupe body: a two-door, four-seat shape that made the ELR one of the few plug-in hybrid coupes.
- Luxury equipment: LED lighting, Bose sound with active noise cancellation and hand-sewn leather in the production car.
Cadillac Converj versions
- Converj concept (2009): the show car that started the programme.
- ELR (2014): the production coupe at about $75,000, with a 217 hp powertrain.
- ELR (2016): $10,000 cheaper, 233 hp, 373 lb-ft and revised suspension.
- ELR performance package: summer tyres, 20-inch wheels, Brembo brakes and a sport steering wheel.
The Converj became the ELR, a plug-in relative of the CTS coupe line; the Cien was Cadillac’s other famous show coupe. More Cadillacs are in the Cadillac collection.
Video: Cadillac CONVERJ NY Autoshow 09
Video by Import 2 Race on YouTube.
Sources
- Cadillac ELR, English Wikipedia: Converj debut, cancellation and revival, ELR specifications
