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Cadillac Converj hits production as ELR, escapes concept purgatory
If you're not already familiar with the story of the Cadillac Converj, take this quick primer: the Converj is the Chevy Volt's luxurious, canceled cousin. The up-and-coming concept suffered an early death shortly after its debut at the 2009 Detroit auto show. Now it's back, returning to development under the name Cadillac ELR. The new electric caddy is said to feature an updated version of the Voltec powertrain, complete with a Chevy Volt-like range-extending generator. Detroit promises that pricing and availability will be released "later," but you can cruise past the break right now for some extra classy PR.
Video: Taxpayer takes Chevy Volt's powertrain for a ride
See that? This dowdy looking sedan is the very symbol of hope for GM and perhaps the US auto industry as a whole. Although this Volt prototype is technically a mule -- an engineering hybrid that crosses the body of a Chevy Cruze with the Volt's Voltec powertrain -- it still gives "an 80-plus percent representation" of what the Volt's electric driving experience will be like. Or so says GM exec, Tony Posawatz. Our greasy sisters over at Autoblog took the Volt-mule for a spin. Their take? Overall, the electric drive system in the mules performed as advertised and GM appears to be well on its way to meeting a November 2010 Job 1 date.Too bad hope doesn't pay the bills. Hit the read link for the full story including a novice's guide to prototyping automobiles. Video overview after the break
