Cadillac Debuts Plug-In Coupe

Today General Motors Co. publicly unveiled the Cadillac ELR, a plug-in hybrid powered by the same system that propels the Chevrolet Volt.

The two-door will go into limited production at GM's Volt plant in Hamtramck, Mich., late this year.

GM describes the luxury coupe as more performance-oriented than the Volt. The ELR's zoomy exterior was inspired by Cadillac's 2009 Converj concept.

GM says the four-seater will have an all-electric range of about 35 miles, three miles less than the Volt. A 1.4-liter onboard gasoline engine can be used to extend the ELR's range by recharging the car's 16.5-kWh, 435-lb propulsion battery on the fly.

Design features for the electric Caddy include LED headlamps, 20-inch wheels and such safety electronics as forward collision alert, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert and side blind-zone alert.

The company promises a sumptuous interior trimmed in leather, suede, chrome, wood and optional carbon fiber. The rear seat folds down to expand cargo space for such items as golf clubs.

GM has not announced pricing for the ELR. But an unidentified source tells Bloomberg News the car is likely to cost at least $60,000, compared with about $39,000 for the Volt, before government rebates.

The carmaker describes the ELR as a limited-production "image" car for Cadillac. GM sold 23,500 Volts last year and aims to boost volume to 40,000 units in 2013. An analyst tells Bloomberg that ELR sales may total only about 1,500 units when the car arrives in showrooms early next year.