Powermat Launching in 2015 Cadillac ATS

Compatible smartphones can charge wirelessly in models with CUE system

Reducing clutter and adding function, Cadillac will add wireless charging of smartphones in the 2015 model ATS sport sedan and coupe launching this fall. Compatible with Powermat and other in-phone wireless charging technologies, the feature eliminates the need for cords on board.

“A recent survey from IHS revealed that 70 percent of consumers charge their mobile phone at least once per day, with 30 percent charging more than once,” said Ryan Sanderson, associate director, Power Supply & Storage Components at IHS Technology.

“This is driving demand for charging access in multiple locations throughout the day, something wireless charging can address in a more convenient way than the consumer having to carry one or more wired chargers around with them on a daily basis.”

Following its introduction into the 2015 ATS, wireless charging technology will be added to the CTS sport sedan this fall and to the Escalade SUV at the end of 2014.

”With 4G LTE capability and now wireless charging, Cadillac is embedding conveniences that have quickly become essential customer needs,” said Ken Kornas, ATS global product manager.

Cadillac Sales Mark Best May Since 2007

Cadillac’s U.S. sales showed continued growth with an increase of 6.4 percent in May, the best May since 2007. More than half of Cadillac buyers in May were new to the brand, not trading in a Cadillac vehicle.

The SRX crossover continues to sell at a record pace through the first five months of 2014, increasing 27 percent year over year. May also marked the best May ever in total and retail sales for the SRX.

With the next-generation 2015 Escalade on sale for a full month, total sales increased 30.3 percent year over year. The Escalade recorded its best May in total sales since 2008 and best May retail sales since 2007.

The 2014 Cadillac CTS sport sedan sales increased 39 percent year over year in May. The brand estimates the CTS has gained an additional 1 percentage point of market share in its midsize luxury car segment. The 2014 CTS has been named Motor Trend Car of the Year, one of Car and Driver’s 10 Best, Road & Track’s 2013 Luxury Car, an Edmunds.com Top Rated Vehicle and an Automobile Magazine 2014 All-Star.

“Cadillac’s elevated product portfolio continues to drive growth and attract new buyers to the brand,” said Bill Peffer, Cadillac U.S. vice president for sales and service. “And our continued growth last month marks our best May since 2007.”

Low, Long, Wide Coupe Enhances Cadillac ATS Line

 

For the 2015 ATS Coupe, Cadillac engineers and designers made a number of changes from the award-winning ATS Sedan to deliver the performance and styling traits luxury coupe buyers expect. When the ATS Coupe goes on sale at the end of this summer, it will start at $38,990, including a $995 destination charge.

To create a more personal expression of the brand’s compact luxury car, the 2015 ATS Coupe rides on the same 109.3-inch wheelbase as the sedan, but features its own bodywork, longer vehicle length, lower height and wider front/rear tracks.

The roof, doors, rear fenders and trunk lid are unique to the Coupe, along with a specific front fascia and front fenders to accommodate the wider track. 18-inch wheels are standard on the Coupe.

“All of the surface development unique to the ATS Coupe was done with aerodynamics in mind,” said David Masch, ATS chief engineer. “We are able to achieve lift and downforce requirements to insure, at top speed, we retain handling without having to add a rear spoiler.”

The Cadillac ATS Coupe is intended to be a more personal addition to the award-winning ATS product line. Designed to be lighter, more agile and more engaging than its competitors, it extends Cadillac’s product-driven growth and the brand’s tradition of dynamic luxury Coupes. The 2015 ATS Coupe goes on sale this summer, offering drivers the choice of rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and the power from a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder or a 3.6L six-cylinder.

Electrifying Craftsmanship: A Look at the 2015 Escalade’s LED Exterior Lighting

Designers drew inspiration from Manhattan skyscrapers

The all-new 2015 Cadillac Escalade’s exterior design uses architecture-influenced approaches to take its unmistakable appearance to a new level of sophistication while the brand’s heritage and the powerful appearance of modern urban buildings inspired a bold new interpretation of Cadillac’s vertical light signature.

“The 2015 Escalade exterior light signature draws inspiration from a variety of sources, beginning with Cadillac’s heritage of vertical exterior lamps and extending into architecture,” said Exterior Lighting Design Manager Martin Davis. “Iconic buildings, like the Hearst Tower in New York City, were a big inspiration due to the interplay of glass and metal.”

Vertical lighting, a Cadillac signature since 1948, remains a vital and ever-evolving theme for designers today. Davis and his team studied Cadillacs from history, especially the 1967 Eldorado and Deville models.

The strong relationship between glass and metal of Manhattan skyscrapers especially influenced the Escalade’s designers. The combination of the materials suggest the lighting elements are floating in space. Each of the five rectangular parabolas separated by metal accents in the headlamp appear to float within the lamp. Together, they give the lens the look of fine-cut crystal.

“Combining metal and glass elements also allows for a uniformity of appearance,” said Davis. “We wanted something that conveys an artistic integration of technology for the front daytime running lights and the taillights.”

In particular, the tail lamps emphasize the technical dimension of using light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. At approximately one meter tall, the tail lamps are “neo-tailfins,” recreating the drama from the 1960s in a modern interpretation. Edge-lit blade technology is the only one that would make the light look like it was floating in space. The Cadillac Crest is also laser etched into the glass light blade. It catches the light as it passes through the blade.

A total of 142 LEDs make up the front and rear lights of the 2015 Escalade. Forty-eight LEDs – 17 for each headlamp and seven for each lower fascia lamp – fully enable the desired appearance and functionality of the front lamps. The remaining 94 LEDs create the provocative appearance and technical functionality of the rear lamps. Each taillamp uses 29 LEDs with 36 in the center high-mount stop light.

The 2015 Escalade is an entirely new design yet instantly recognizable. Much of the story of Cadillac’s redesigned flagship SUV focuses on the artistic craftsmanship that went into the vehicle’s creation, from the refined and detailed exterior to the luxurious cut-and-sew interior.

Regen on Demand Wins 2014 Green Car Technology Award

Green Car Journal praises Cadillac ELR-exclusive technology.

 

 

Green Car Journal today awarded the Cadillac ELR electrified luxury coupe its 2014 Green Car Technology Award for the Regen on Demand system, which allows the driver to use paddle shifters on the steering wheel to temporarily regenerate energy and store it as electricity in the battery pack for later use.

The award was announced Wednesday at The Washington Auto Show in Washington, D.C.

“Regen on Demand is one of the key systems enabling the Cadillac ELR to merge performance with efficiency in a dynamic new way,” said Jim Vurpillat, director of emerging markets at Cadillac. “Putting regenerative braking at the driver’s fingertips supports the ELR’s 340-mile total driving range while also adding a fun-to-drive element to the premium luxury coupe.”

Traditional performance vehicles allow drivers to upshift and downshift the mechanical transmission through steering wheel-mounted paddles. ELR’s Regen on Demand feature is unique to the vehicle and builds on Cadillac’s performance-bred heritage.

“Cadillac has cleverly evolved a common electric-drive efficiency system into an intriguing feature that adds a new dimension to the driving experience,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com.

“Ever-increasing efficiency is crucial to our driving future, yet efficiency itself is not an attraction for a great many car buyers,” he said. “Cadillac’s Regen on Demand is an inspired example of how technology can increase efficiency while connecting with a driver, enhancing driving dynamics along the way.”

Beyond the exclusive Regen on Demand system, the ELR comes equipped with standard advanced technology features such as Cadillac CUE with Navigation, light-emitting diode, or LED, front and rear exterior lighting, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Alert, and the Safety Alert Seat.

The ELR interior features handcrafted leather complemented by authentic wood grain and chrome trim. Powering the ELR is a combination of pure electric drive and an efficient, range-extending 1.4L gasoline-powered electric generator. A T-shaped, 16.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack is located along the centerline of the vehicle, between the front and rear wheels to make the most of weight distribution. The pack supplies energy to an advanced electric drive unit to propel the vehicle.

Nationwide sales of the 2014 Cadillac ELR began earlier this month.

The 5 Best Car Chase Scenes of All Time

1. The Blues Brothers (1980)


 

2. To Live and Die in LA (1985)

 

3. The French Connection (1971)


 

4. Bullitt (1968)


 
5. Ronin (1998)

 

Cadillac Begins Shipping ELRs to Dealerships

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.