5 Facts About Cadillac’s Converj Range Extended Electric Car

1. Electric Drive Goes Luxury
General Motors has shown the Cadillac Converj grand touring coupe concept as a luxury counterpoint to the Chevrolet Volt. The aim is to illustrate that range extended electric propulsion can be applied to a wide range of popular vehicle categories, from sport and family sedans to luxury cars, in this case a personal luxury 2+2.

2. Aggressive and Efficient
The four-passenger Cadillac Converj offers an aggressive sweeping body line and a forward-leaning profile, highlighted by large-scale rolling stock – 21-inch wheels up front and 22-inch at the rear. An all-glass roof incorporates solar panels to help power interior accessories. Aerodynamic and design efficiencies like a full under-vehicle belly pan, minimal grille openings, and use of rearview cameras in place of side view mirrors work to enhance driving range.

3. ‘Voltec’ is the New ‘E-Flex’
The Converj uses GM’s ‘Voltec’ propulsion technology, formerly known as ‘E-Flex,’ that provides up to 40 miles of zero-emission electric driving. Longer range driving is readily available with the system’s integral internal combustion engine–generator, which charges the batteries and generates electricity to power the electric drive motor.

4. Lithium-Ion Battery Power
The Voltec propulsion system uses an electric drive unit and a four-cylinder engine-generator. Electric drive always powers the car. Its T-shaped, thermally managed battery pack incorporates more than 220 lithium-ion cells and is integrated into the car’s chassis. The pack is fully recharged by plugging into the grid for less than three hours at 240 volts, or eight hours from a 120 volt outlet.

5. Destined for Production?
Is the Converj destined for production? It’s too early to know. However, GM says the Converj concept has ‘production substance’ and is a logical extension of the company’s plan to reinvent the automobile. Plus, according to GM, the concept “clearly shows what a Cadillac electric vehicle could look like and indicates that global luxury customers can have a car that has both strong design and electric propulsion.’