HELL YEAH!!!!!

This car was AWESOME to see at the Detroit show. Should definitely be able to pull in a high price — but if they are thinking $50k – $60k that is going to severely limit volume

At $50k it will sell very well. If it does come out two years after the Volt it will use gen 2 components which will greatly reduce the cost of the components. If they tune the powertrain for power it would be a real rip snorten powerhouse on take off. LOTS of torque.

I learned my lesson from the past, giving GM to much praise before something comes out, then being let down.

carstuff,
“If it does come out two years after the Volt it will use gen 2 components which will greatly reduce the cost of the components.”

I seriously doubt that considering there would only be close to a 2 year gap between the two…GM is NOT that fast at upgrading!!

that is the way to go. tune it for a bit more sporting ride they could actually turn a profit. price at55k-60k after 15k rebate 40k for a caddy not to bad. higher volumes should bring prices down a bit too.

They could put a god damn Aveo engine in it and I’d still consider one. It’s beautiful.

lets hope this is a case where sex sells, because based on performance, i’m dubious…

leftwing + 1.

A4, are you still going to be that enamored when an Aveo kicks your ass at a stoplight?

@idrinorbarsaku: its already been reported that GM is working on the 2nd gen ‘Voltec’ technology

if the change the motors it could potentially have very good performance numbers with all torque you can get from them and electric motors are not the most expensive part. the gas back up not the most impotent part in the performance.

hope the don’t changer to much for the production version.

is that… yet another FWD Cadillac?

Not the worst Idea out of GM…. I think there are people willing to pay 50k+ for a cadallic hybrid rather than 40K+ for a chevy hybrid.

And if GM is already working on the 2nd gen voltec technology, that is good and all, but I’d prefer the first generation to be released before they start working on a 2nd gen…. doesn’t show alot of faith in their current technology

worst 3: i dont think a bigger gas engine would neccessarily make it perform any better, might even be slower with the added weight.. more performance would be based on the battery, either a longer lasting/ more advanced battery is used, or the juice in the regular volt battery gets used at a higher rate and the gas engine is need more often to keep up with the added performance.
the caddy will most likely come equiped with a more advanced battery regenerative technologies (compared to the volt) and use of solar cells, which in-turn would/ could/ should be put towards the performance side of the car and not to extend the electric range

Ic3, the 2nd gen and 3rd gen are primarily reducing the cost and weight of the new tech components. The new components are not being designed to increase range.

Awesome news.

FINALLY GM is understanding the power of badge engineering… this is how it is supposed to work – use the higher-end divisions (which presumably would sell at higher profit margins) to help pay for the R&D on high-end technologies.

That way you don’t have to try selling $30+k cars like the Volt at a massive loss in a market segment which should be selling closer to $20k. Give the technology to Cadillac, wrap the car in some gorgeous sheetmetal, use some seductive advertising to entice richer folk, and raise the price to the point where you will help pay for the technology a lot faster. Then let that technology trickle-down to “lesser” brands like Chevy.

Super sweet hybrid concept. I know everyone might not be as psyched about the high premium that it will hold though. This will be the first true direct competition for the Fisker cars and Tesla. And their all American! nice trio!

I’m an ass guy.. and that ass looks whack.

@andy

i said electric motors (capable of using more electricity when needed to produce more power), I said the gas (engines) backup engine would probably not help with performance. batteries would also help as you said, amusing the electric motors could take the power.

2-doors, 2-small, 2-expensive, 2-limited…

If chian’s BYD brings their EVs to market soon, they will top 100+ mile range at 1/2 the price of GM, so I don’t see a good business case for GM… unless the Fed gives them more of our money for tax credits to make this junk more affordable…

Can you guys get it that electric vehicles are not ready for prime time! 100 mile range is not enough to keep from range anxiety. See the Radiant Energy guy with the Tesla. He runs an electric company, bought a toy Tesla that can go over 200 miles on a charge and still admits that electrics are not feasible due to range anxiety.

GM is going to go under if they keep coming up with junk like this.

GM. An American Embarrassment !!!

I like the new NMOFGM =)

I like it. Now you can buy your own piece of GM failure with a touch of luxury this time. Can anyone see a cross between an EV1 and a Cadillac Cimarron here? Two…….um……very successful vehicles from GM?

The new fiero…………………………

Now that is FUGLY……

Fold up a box and whalla..you have a caddy….

It’s the next Black & Decker Dustbuster !!

@CARSTUFF

Where are you getting this 100 mile range? The Volt (and presumably this Converj) can extend their range with the backup gasoline engine giving you essentially unlimited mileage (as long as you can find a gas station).

But even then you have to look at the big picture – these are first gen products. While 100 miles is in fact good enough for most people’s daily drive, the mileage numbers are only going to go up from here with each successive generation. There has been a tremendous amount of battery breakthroughs just over the past 2 years – once some of that tech hits the market in a few years, driving range is going to be a non-issue for all but the most demanding drivers. Most people that today would buy a car that is strictly an EV (thus no gas motor for extended range), would probably buy it as their 2nd car and/or live in a congested city.

Not the prettiest thing in the world
But I say good for GM

If they only had the Stones to build the Sixteen…………
They’d have the POTENTIAL to be a Tier 1 brand

That’s a mighty big if
DrFill

so if this is anything like the volt, this is the hype followed by years of waiting?

Hazdaz, 100 miles is what many regular electrics get and it is not enough for prime time. People are afraid to get stuck with a dead vehicle and unable to “gas” up.

Batteries that can go 300 miles in a regular vehicle are not going to be here for at least 10 years unless there is some kind of breakthru beyond what we are seeing now.

Biggest breakthru would be 10 minute recharging but then we would need the infrastructure and even if we found a solution in the next 2 years it would be another 5 years before it would be available to the public with a charging infrasturcture.

carstuff, this and the Volt are supported by backup electricity-generating gas-powered motors. Hence the “break through” technology. Isn’t it expected to get like 300 miles to the tank? I understand what you are saying about range anxiety, but I’m sure similar claims were made about the horseless carriage. “That thing can only go 30 miles then you’re dead. Not the trusty horse, he can just eat some grass. That automobile idea will never take off.” Also, I heard too that Gen 2 has been in the works for some time now. It’s not because they don’t trust their Gen 1 technology like Ic3m4n thinks. They’ve stated that, based on formulae, they can predict where battery technology will be at a certain time in the near-term future. Just like with the microchip’s evolution, scientists and engineers knew where they’d be several years in the future. So, I read that GM was also basing Gen 2 specs on projected future technology levels.

Also, anyone that thinks Cadillac could not make a car, based on the Volt’s electric drive system, sporty is absolutely out of their mind. Until you’ve actually driven an electric vehicle, you cannot understand the amount of torque that is available from a stand still. No power band… wait, ALL power band. The difference in design approach to hybrid propulsion gives this technology a decided performance advantage. Nothing like those wimpy hybrids that are on the market today.

FUGLY. looks like it hit every branch of the ugly tree on the way down.

^1115, is that you hiding behind a new screen name???

PSI, at one time the Volt had a 12 gallon gas tank which gave it a range of 600 miles. However GM found that people rarely go over 40 miles in a day and that the gas would sit in the tank and not be used. This left the issue of gas going bad over time.

They then decreased the tank size and now have the 360 mile range which will still rarely be used.

What I like about the way GM is handling the Volt is that they keep putting all the info out there for us to read how the development is going. Unfortunately the idiots come out and complain about “bring it out already” while those who are interested can see how the development proceeds. For a completely new tech in an auto the 4 year lifecycle is darn short.

This car is amazing looking.

I agree, can’t get excited about anything GM does until it’s rolling off the assembly line, they shift gears too quickly over there.

What’s a Billion dollars divided by the cost of a Lotus Range Extending Engine?