The Cadillac Converj – All New Electric Car
The future of Cadillac Cars is rapidly changing. General Motors revealed a further glimpse at the potential of electric propulsion by displaying their new luxury concept car. GM’s concept, Cadillac Converj, was unveiled this morning, Feb. 17th, 2009 at the Detroit Auto Show and was intended to display the revolutionary electric propulsion technology that GM calls Voltec. The Cadillac Converj is perfect for showcasing their Voltec system and is based on the Chevy Volt platform. GM wanted to reinvent an electric vehicle with the same luxury design, quality materials, premium technology and driving dynamics that Cadillac has always featured. Their intent was to create a car that was strong in design and efficient to give customers anxiety-free miles.
The Converj features the same T-shaped battery, electric drive unit, four cylinder engine-generator, and 16kWh as the Chevy Volt and is the main source to drive the car. The Cadillac Converj can go up to forty miles on emissions-free electric power and then seamlessly adjusts to the four cylinder engine to give power to the motor and charge the lithium battery. In either mode, the Converj is constantly driven by an electric drive unit that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy to propel the front wheels. The electric drive unit also conveys 370 Nm of immediate torque which enables a fast start of 120 kW power. The Cadillac Converj reaches a top speed of 100 mph and also features a Magnetic Ride Control for efficiency during braking.
The mechanics of the Cadillac Converj are based on the Chevy Volt but the exterior of the concept car is pure Cadillac. The Converj much resembles the CTS coupe concept body style and accentuates aerodynamics with its fully covered underbody, small grille openings, and cameras replacing rearview mirrors. The Converj seats four and has a small trunk with an even smaller entrance. The Cadillac Converj is the smallest Cadillac ever made and demonstrates ten inches shorter than its look-alike the CTS coupe. It also is the same length as the Chevy Volt but is wider due to larger wheels.
The interior cabin has a black leather and white suede trim with a royal blue surrounding glow. It also includes navigation touch screens, climate control, audio systems, an instrument panel that exhibits nearby images, and a series of center controls. Production plans for the upcoming Cadillac have not been released but the Converj is aimed to showcase how flexible GM’s Voltec propulsion technology is. The new Cadillac Converj concept car is only a miniscule view into the future, and the future of the Cadillac brand.