General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly today began shipping 2014 Cadillac ELR electric luxury vehicles to dealerships.
The
ELR luxury coupe is the first application of Extended Range Electric
Vehicle technology by a full-line luxury automotive brand. It blends
dramatic design and industry-leading extended-range technology to
deliver a driving experience that is sporty and environmentally
friendly.
The ELR’s driving range, which combines battery-only
electric power with a range-extending gasoline-powered electric
generator provides total driving range exceeding 300 miles (480 km). The
extended range technology is uniquely tuned for Cadillac in the ELR.
Most daily commutes will require no gasoline and emit no tailpipe
emissions.
Today’s event marked the return of Cadillac
production at Detroit-Hamtramck after a two-year hiatus. Employees last
built the Cadillac DTS large sedan from 2006 to 2011.
Detroit-Hamtramck,
which opened in 1985, is represented by UAW Local 22. In addition to
the ELR, employees build the all-new Chevrolet Impala, Malibu and Volt;
and Opel Ampera extended-range electric vehicle.
The plant has
built some of GM’s best-selling and most important cars. The first
vehicle produced for sale at Detroit-Hamtramck was a Cadillac Eldorado,
which came off the end of the line on Feb. 4, 1985. Since then, more
than 3.5 million Cadillac, Buick and Chevrolet cars have been built
there.
As you may have
heard, the highly-anticipated Cadillac ELR will come directly out of the
factory with the capability to communicate with the electric grid.
Coined as "Smart Grid ready", this functionality promises some serious
benefits. But, what are they and how does it work?
The ELR will use
two existing technologies in conjunction with one another to make the
system work. One is extended range electric vehicle technology. This is
what come standard, in one form or another, on all GM hybrid-electric
vehicles. The other system it will utilize is the OnStar cloud-based
connection, which as you know is another common feature in newer model
cars.
These technologies combined can be accessed via the RemoteLink Mobile App.
This application
will allow drivers to monitor the current state of their ELR's metrics,
such as: current state of charge, electric range and electric miles
driven.
In addition, it
will also empower ELR owners to control and schedule vehicle charging.
For example, you could tell the car to charge only during off-peak
hours, essentially saving you money. This is just one feature that will
surely benefit customers. In the future, the implications of this type
of technology are massive.
“While RemoteLink is really our first Smart Grid service to be available
for consumers, the same connection we use to enable the app’s EV
functions can be used to open the door for more energy cost and load
control benefits,” said Russ Eling, manager, Smart Grid and EV Services,
General Motors.
Tell us, is this type of technology something you would be interested in?
Browse our current selection of vehicles by visiting the Rohrich Cadillac website.
