Sleek, green and probably expensive; GM’s extended range ELR will soon be coming off assembly lines
The love for expensive and unique cars in many parts of Middle East is something we love to cover, including such models a white gold Mercedes sports coupes running on biofuel, and a white gold Bentley said to actually upstage the gold Mercedes model. In order to generate an interest in luxury car models powered by electricity, the Tesla Motors electric car company, creator of high priced EV sports models, promoted its stock in an IPO investment opportunity in the NASDAQ Stock exchange where Middle Eastern investors were said to have made some good profits when Abu Dhabi’s Al Wahada Capital Investment bought a 7.8 percent stake in Tesla Motors.
Now GM’s Cadillac ELR “extended range” hybrid may be on its way to dealers in the not-to-distant future. Will the Middle East be buying?
Cadillac Ciel: beautiful wheels, but not green
This ELR model is unlike those Cadillac models such as the Ciel concept “open air grand-touring car” that was recently featured on the Driving-Dutchman auto news site.
The ELR is an electric powered and propelled vehicle, with a small 4 cylinder gasoline engine to recharge the car’s lithium ion battery pack, should the batteries run out of power.
The addition of this new model, a luxury version of GM’s already in production Chevrolet Volt, that began ‘rolling into Chevy dealerships’ last fall and winter, may be of interest to more affluent purchasers who want to have the technology of a Volt but in a more ‘glitzy’ and upscale GM package that only Cadillac can offer.
In a recent media interview, Don Butler, Cadillac’s marketing VP, told reporters:
“The concept (of an extended range luxury model) generated instant enthusiasm. Like other milestone Cadillac models of the past, the ELR will offer something not otherwise present–the combination of electric propulsion with striking design and the fun of luxury coupe driving.”
While not costing as much as a white gold Mercedes or Bentley, the Cadillac ELR will undoubtedly be out of the price range of the average car buyer; although it will offer a greener aspect to those luxury car buyers who are willing to purchase cars like Tesla’s $100,000 EV sports models for the sake of “going green” when touring down the roads of cities in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
Who knows? The next step by GM may be the production of an electric version similar to the stretch limo electric super-bus, which is soon expected to be plying the highways between the two UAE “future cities”.
More articles on Upscale Mid East cars of interest:
Abu Dhabi’s Gold Biofuel Mercedes is Another “Dubious” Green Development
White Gold Bentley Upstages Emerati Gold Mercedes – How Un-green!
Tesla Motors IPO Races Through Abu Dhabi – But is the EV Practical?
Ride the Abu Dhabi Stretch Limo Electric Super Bus
That’s not a Caddy Fleetwood Brougham for sure. But I’m sure it’ll get more “bang” for the buck.