Cadillac electrifies line up with ELR hybrid

IDG News Service - Cadillac introduced a high-end hyrbid electric vehicle called the ELR at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit Tuesday.

The car is based on the Cadillac Converj concept car that debuted in Detroit in 2009. The ELR uses an electric motor for about the first 35 miles (56 km) of driving. After that a 1.4 liter gas-powered generator that's capable of generating 154 kW kicks in.

The ELR's battery is a T-shaped 16.5kWh (kilowat hour) lithium ion positioned along the car's center line. The 198kg battery pack can be charged by a 120V electrical outlet or a 240V dedicated charging station. At the latter, the battery can be completely recharged in about 4.5 hours, according to Cadillac.

The LED lights on the car are designed to cut down on its need for power and its 20-inch wheels balance efficiency and handling, according to the company.

The ELR also comes standard with the company's CUE navigation system, which includes voice recognition and a heads up display.

The car will begin production later this year with sales to begin in early 2014 in North America first and later China and Europe. A price was not announced.

Nick Barber covers general technology news in both text and video for IDG News Service. E-mail him at Nick_Barber@idg.com and follow him on Twitter at @nickjb.