China has grown to become GM’s largest market, and going forward Chinese tastes will play a growing influence on GM designs.
General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson announced today that a new Cadillac ELR luxury electric coupe will be sold in China. The announcement of the first extended range electric vehicle from Cadillac in Beijing shows just how significant the world’s largest auto market has become to all automakers. The question now is where the ELR will debut first – the U.S. where it was developed and Cadillac’s home market or China?
“China has quickly become the fastest-growing market for Cadillac. Last year, sales rose by 73%,” said Akerson. Cadillac will add one new model per year in China through 2016.
The Cadillac ELR uses an updated version of the Chevrolet Volt electric propulsion system comprised of a T-shaped lithium-ion battery, an electric drive unit and a four-cylinder engine-generator.
Like the Chevrolet Volt, ELR uses electricity as its primary source to drive the car without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions for a limited number of miles – the current Volt goes about 35 miles on electricity alone. When the battery’s energy is low, the ELR goes to extended-range mode to enable driving for hundreds of additional kilometers.
Additional details on the ELR’s technologies, production location and China market introduction will be announced later, GM said.
