Cadillac today announced the first 2017 CT6 Plug-In Hybrid sedan that will go on sale in the spring of 2017, with a claimed total driving range of more than 400 miles.
However, in EV mode, the CT6 plug-in can only roam 30 miles before more electrons are needed. The CT6 Plug-In Hybrid is expected to have an estimated fuel economy of 65 MPGe.
That is Miles per gallon equivalence, MPGe, that compares energy consumption of plug-in electric vehicles and other advanced technology vehicles with the fuel economy of conventional internal combustion vehicles in miles per U.S. gallon.
Year to date, the just launched CT6 has sold 6,707 sedans. It’s a bit player in the luxury car movie dominated by German stars. GM has announced that in January the canceling of the third shift at Lansing Grand River where the Cadillac ATS and CTS and the Chevrolet Camaro are assembled because of the ongoing collapse of the passenger car market and the growth of crossovers and SUVs. More than 800 jobs will be lost.
The CT6 plug-in hybrid has the same zero to 60 mph performance as its V6-powered competitors – it’s a four-banger – while achieving roughly twice the full EV range and MPGe figures. It combines an all-new rear-wheel-drive electric variable transmission with a two-motor EVT system and a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine to produce an estimated total system power of 335 horsepower (250 kW) and 432 lb.-ft. (586 Nm) of torque. This helps propel the vehicle from a zero to 60 mph in an estimated 5.2 seconds.
Each electric motor produces 100 horsepower (74.5 kW). On electric power, only, the car is capable of approximately 30 miles of driving range and a top speed of 78 mph, with the additional power of the engine adding hundreds of miles of total range and a top speed of 150 mph on a track. Simply put, plug ins are a joke, and are helped in the marketplace by privileged access to HOV – high occupancy vehicle – lanes, notably in California.
The CT6 Plug-In Hybrid launches in North America in the spring of 2017, starting in the U.S. at $75,095 plus a $995 destination freight charge before any applicable tax-payer subsidized electric vehicle tax incentives. In the U.S. market, the CT6 Plug-In Hybrid will be offered as its own unique package within the CT6 product line, with pricing and equipment comparable to the existing Premium Luxury model (second highest within the model range). The Plug-In model includes numerous optional equipment as standard, such as a Rear Seat Infotainment system, Enhanced Night Vision and Rear Camera mirror.
