GM Unveils Voltec Powered Cadillac Converj Coupe Concept

For the second year in a row, General Motors' Cadillac division showed up at the North American International Auto Show in

Detroit with a two-door sports coupe, although compared to the performance-oriented CTS Coupe Concept that stole the hearts and minds of automotive pundits last year, yesterday's Converj Concept measures its performance in miles per gallon and tailpipe emissions.

Call it a big, fat zero if you want to, and GM execs will smile proudly. After all, the gorgeous two-door is fully capable of taking you to and from work without ever running on gasoline, and therefore producing almost no airborne toxins.

“The electric motor in the Converj drives the wheels at all times, at all speeds,” commented Robert (Bob) A. Lutz, General Motors vice chairman. When driving on short commutes, he continued, “You may never have to buy a drop of gasoline as long as you own the car.”

Cadillac cites the same numbers as it does for the Chevrolet Volt, being that the new plug-in series hybrid electric Cadillac will share the same internals as its four-door

cousin, or about 40 miles of range between charges when on full electric power. If you live within 40 miles of your work and have the ability to charge up while on the job it's quite possible that buying the Converj could at the very least result in a dramatic difference in your fuel bill.

Although, while Lutz states that the Converj will achieve the same 40 mile range as its Volt cousin, he was beyond vague about the exact powertrain combination that the technology would use in Cadillac trim.

“The battery pack could either be larger or smaller than the one in the Volt, and so could the engine,” Lutz added, meaning that due to the flexibility of the Voltec system a Cadillac model could be biased more towards performance than fuel economy, to compete more directly with Lexus hybrids.

The

Converj, however, is a concept and not reality, at least not yet. Then again, building multiple models off of the E-Flex platform, now officially called “Voltec”, is something GM promised it would do, and more importantly something the General must do in order to make the technology cost effective, so something like the Converj could very well become a reality in the near future.

By the reaction of the crowd it would be a welcome addition to the Cadillac lineup, as it's a particularly attractive set of wheels. Ed Welburn, GM's design chief, and the rest of the Converj design team took the brand's Art and Science design theme to extreme levels with edgier angles and ultra-sharp vertical LED-enhanced headlight clusters plus LED taillights that look like a classic mariner's compass extended at right angles. The graduating rise of its sharply

creased beltline that flows into the taillights gives it an exotic supercar-like profile, just another highlight of a car that's destined to change peoples' perceptions about alternative energy vehicles.

Lutz climbed out of the passenger seat after the Converj rolled onto the stage, and told media that they were looking at the “Cadillac of electric vehicles”, a reminder that the name Cadillac was once synonymous with world class quality and advanced engineering. Cadillac is doing a good job to repair past mistakes with some of the best made cars in their respective classes, although the Converj, if built, would be in a luxury class of one. While Lexus builds luxury hybrids, having introduced a new compact-sized dedicated hybrid to be positioned between the IS and ES range on the same day as Cadillac's reveal, it's not capable of driving on electricity alone beyond parking lot speeds and then only for short durations.

Lexus

is claiming that the upcoming 2010 HS 250h will be the most fuel efficient luxury model sold in the US, but an announcement of a production version of the Volt would soon quash such banter, as plug-in series hybrids such as GM's Voltec system will most likely make conventional hybrids ancient history.

To alleviate any listeners concerned about running out of electricity in the middle of their commute, something Lutz referred to as “range anxiety” and something he personally experienced while testing a pure electric motorcycle, he made sure to emphasize that after the Converj's 40 mile range passes and its electric power runs out, a small gasoline engine will take over to get you and your Caddy wherever you're going, in style, we might add.