As many of you know, the follow-up to the Volt will be released early in 2014.

General Motors said that paddle shifters take on new meaning in the ELR. Unlike traditional performance vehicles where the steering wheel-mounted paddles allow drivers to upshift and downshift the mechanical transmission, Cadillac ELR’s paddle shifters enable the driver to temporarily regenerate energy and store it as electricity in the battery pack for later use.

ELR’s Regen on Demand feature is, according to GM, unique to the compact luxury coupe and builds on Cadillac’s performance-bred heritage.

“Regen on Demand enables ELR drivers to actively re-capture energy when slowing down, such as when  approaching slower traffic or setting up for a tight turn,” said Chris Thomason, ELR chief engineer. “This allows the driver to take more active role in the electric vehicle driving experience.”

To engage Regen on Demand, the driver simply takes his or her foot off the accelerator and pulls back on either the left or right steering-wheel paddle to begin regenerating electricity.

When engaged, GM said Regen on Demand provides vehicle deceleration that is more than what a typical vehicle experiences while coasting, providing control and dynamic performance characteristics similar to downshifting in a manual-transmission vehicle. The feature does not bring the vehicle to a full stop.

Releasing the paddle disengages Regen on Demand, allowing the vehicle to coast normally. The driver can engage and disengage Regen on Demand as desired and as traffic conditions allow.

“Pulling back on the paddle to slow down allows the ELR driver to keep their foot close to the throttle, ready to accelerate,” Thomason said. “It provides a more engaged, satisfying driving experience, and when you consider the added benefit of re-capturing energy, it’s also a smart thing to do.”

During regenerative braking, the system converts the vehicle’s momentum to electrical power and stores the energy in the T-shaped battery pack located along the centerline of the vehicle, between the front and rear wheels for optimal weight distribution.

The pack supplies energy to an advanced electric drive unit capable of 295 pound-feet of torque. Using only the energy stored in the battery, the ELR will deliver an estimated range of about 35 miles of pure electric driving, depending on terrain, driving techniques and temperature.

Cadillac also revealed that the ELR includes a blended regenerative braking system that will recapture a majority of the energy in a vehicle’s momentum rather than losing it as heat in the brakes, which is common with conventional vehicles.

When the brakes are applied, energy is recaptured, as the vehicle slows. If more brake force is applied, ELR automatically blends in friction brakes to apply greater stopping power for more urgent stops.

The system has a standard 4-channel anti-lock braking system and includes electronic Brake Force Distribution, which uses independent rear control for improved stability and braking during cornering, as well as more effective use of the rear brakes as vehicle loading occurs.

Also, the disc brake system features vented front and solid rear Duralife rotors with Ferritic Nitro-Carburizing (FNC) finishing technology to reduce corrosion and deliver longer life.

Charging the ELR’s battery can be done with a 120V electrical outlet or a dedicated 240V charging station. The vehicle can be completely recharged in about 4.5 hours using a 240V outlet, depending on the outside temperature.

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General Motors announced today a global strategy to deliver a new generation of connected cars and trucks with embedded 4G LTE mobile broadband. Per GM, this is the largest deployment in the automotive industry to date.

The first GM cars, trucks and crossovers to get 4G LTE will be most 2015 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac models available in 2014 in the United States and Canada.

4G LTE services will originally be delivered through AT&T. GM said it will announce more carrier and supplier relationships in coming months to expand 4G LTE capabilities in markets around the globe.

According to GM, expected benefits for customers could include in-vehicle Wi-Fi hot spots, new infotainment options like streaming video entertainment in the back seat, real-time updates and faster application downloads. These enhancements build on OnStar’s existing portfolio of built-in connected services, first introduced in GM vehicles in 1996.

The built-in 4G LTE structure GM is opting to go with is specifically designed for in-vehicle use as it is integrated into the vehicle’s electrical system and includes an external antenna to maximize coverage and connectivity.

GM specified that customers will not be required to have a smartphone to use the integrated connected services.

“In addition to allowing consumers to bring in and connect to personal mobile devices, the vehicle will also act as its own mobile device, enabling embedded vehicle capabilities,” said Mary Chan, president, Global Connected Consumer, General Motors.  “Turning this vision into a reality starts with enabling fast, reliable and responsive connectivity within the vehicle.  Through this built-in 4G LTE connection we have the opportunity to reinvent the mobile experience inside a vehicle.”

According to GM, applications of widespread in-vehicle 4G LTE connectivity will enable vehicles to interact directly with their environment to enhance safety, efficiency and convenience for drivers and passengers. 4G LTE will make services such as real-time traffic and navigation updates possible, pulling information from the cloud.

GM and AT&T said they will also work together on a broad ecosystem focused on developing new communication applications to enhance the driving and riding experience.

“While our 4G LTE network will provide fast, reliable mobile broadband for GM’s connected vehicles, we’re also looking forward to working directly with GM researchers and engineers as well as the developer community to invent new in-vehicle applications that will take full advantage of our powerful network,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility.

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Engineers were winter weather chassis testing last week on pre-production ELR models in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, evaluating the car’s handling in winter weather conditions.

More than four inches of fresh snowfall during testing helped the team validate final specifications on the ELR’s steering, tires, anti-lock brakes, traction control, electronic stability control and Continuous Damping Control suspension. The later adjusts damping every two milliseconds to maintain optimal control over varying road conditions.

Combined with the HiPer Strut front suspension and watts link rear suspension, GM said the ELR is designed to provide owners with a sporty, yet confident handling character.

“Being able to test the ELR in extreme road conditions, like those we experienced here in the U.P., allows us to provide a ride-and-handling character unlike any EV on the market today,” said Chris Thomason, ELR chief engineer. “During this latest test, the ELR continued to perform beyond our expectations.”

The ELR, which won the Eyes on Design Award for best production vehicle at the Detroit auto show, is based on the Cadillac Converj Concept and on the Chevrolet Volt.

Cadillac said the ELR’s exterior establishes a new, progressive proportion for the brand.

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Let’s be clear: the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid is nearly 17 feet long, weighs more than three tons and gets an EPA fuel economy rating in the low 20 miles per gallon. That’s not what most people think of when they hear “hybrid.” But, the big Caddy’s 20 mpg city is the same city mileage as a Toyota Venza crossover with all-wheel drive powered by a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine mated to an automatic transmission. On the highway the Venza does go farther on a gallon (two additional miles), but the Escalade Hybrid still manages to push its enormous exterior through the air at the rate of 23 mpg.

For 2013, the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid’s exterior and interior is a rerun of the 2012 model with no significant changes and returns with either rear- or four-wheel drive. Prices also carryover from 2012. The standard model has a sticker price of $73,850 for two-wheel drive and $76,400 for four-wheel drive. Stepping up to the Premium Edition, RWD is priced at $83,295 and 4WD at $85,845.

Hybrid Powertrain

It’s no surprise that the Escalade Hybrid shares the same hybrid system found in the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC’s Yukon hybrid SUVs since all are built on the same platform and feature the same drivetrain. The hybrid hardware combines a modified 6.0-liter 332 horsepower V8 gasoline engine, a 300-volt nickel-metal hydride battery pack and an electrically variable transmission (EVT). The transmission is made up of two 60-kilowatt (80 horsepower) electric motors, three planetary gearsets and four fixed gears that use the same space as GM’s six-speed automatic transmission. Essentially the EVT has two drive modes – hence the name “two-mode hybrid.”

The magic of the two-mode hybrid system is that the hybrid system itself generates the electric power used to propel the vehicle. When the regenerative brakes are applied or the vehicle is coasting, the electric motors within the hybrid system produce electricity that is stored in the battery pack. This stored energy is then used to move the vehicle, and the cycle repeats itself continually to increase fuel economy.

During low-speed, low-impact driving, the powertrain works just like other hybrids; it stops the V8 engine whenever possible so that it may draw power from one or both of the electric motors. With a deft foot on the go pedal, the big SUV can travel under electric power for around two miles at up to 35 mph.

The second mode is mostly for highway driving, at which time one or both electric motors can run concurrently along with the gas engine in order to provide a power boost. The two-mode transmission attempts to keep the engine running at the optimum rpm for low fuel consumption. Essentially, it manages a balancing act between the V8 engine and the electric motors. It is also responsible for making the transitions between the two modes practically seamless.

The two mode isn’t the Escalade’s only fuel saver. The V8 engine employs cylinder deactivation technology (known at GM as active fuel management). Four of the V8’s cylinders can take a rest and the engine can operate in an economical V4 mode from around 40 mph up to near 70 mph. Master this technique along with the characteristics of the two-mode, and the 26-gallon fuel tank will let you cruise for more than 500 miles on unleaded gasoline.

Not as dramatic in saving fuel as cylinder deactivation, an electrically driven, 42-volt variable-assist power steering system provides up to a 0.5-mpg fuel economy improvement compared to the common belt-driven hydraulic systems. Hey, 0.5-mpg here, 0.5-mpg there, it all adds up.

Exterior And Interior

Like its Tahoe and Yukon hybrid cousins, the Escalade’s styling dates back to 2007, but it has aged far better. Up front, the multi-faceted chrome grille, inspired by the Cadillac Sixteen show car of 2003, is so overwhelming that the huge headlights are barely noticed. Covered with chrome trim and rolling on 22-inch chromed aluminum-alloy wheels, the Escalade Hybrid still looks fresh and commands the same attention and esteem it did when introduced.

Unlike the Tahoe Hybrid on which it’s based, the Escalade takes no extreme measures to reduce weight and increase mileage. The front air dam is subtly different, but there are no other aerodynamic changes or mass reductions. It even has the standard Escalade roof rack. There is a slight difference between the base standard hybrid model and the Premium Edition. The Premium has a unique front fascia along with upper and lower grilles and a multi-spoke wheel design.

Inside the Escalade Hybrid mimics its gasoline sibling, which means seven or eight people can ride in leather-wrapped comfort. Second-row passengers get nearly as much luxury as those up front. Heated leather captain’s chairs are standard, though leather, heated three-person bench is a no-cost option. Not only are the second-row seats comfortable, they also feature individual audio and climate controls.

The driver and front-seat passenger ride high, but the dash is positioned low, furnishing an expansive view out of the large windshield. A distinct instrument panel is a defining attribute of the interior. It includes gauges with white needles and blue light inlays with continuously lit, white-LED backlighting.

There are some hybrid-specific features. The instrument cluster adds an additional gauge that monitors the efficiency of the vehicle, and the instrument panel has some hybrid graphics. Also, the standard navigation system screen can display a graphic diagram of the hybrid system and its operation.

Basically, the Hybrid version of this big SUV is a complete option package that incorporates a raft of options offered on lesser Escalades. In addition to those included 22-inch chromed aluminum wheels, standard are remote starter, heated and cooled front seats – all rows are leather – Bluetooth, USB/iPod port and an AM/FM/XM/CD Bose audio system with MP3 capability. Phew. Other standard features include a backup camera, power liftgate, and a blind-spot detection system in each side mirror.

All of which is to say, this is a large dollop of luxury laid on what is, in the end, a very large station wagon built on a pickup truck frame. But wait, there’s more.

The Platinum Edition adds LED headlights, upgraded leather with French stitching, heated and cooled cupholders and dual front headrest DVD screens with rear entertainment system featuring a total of three LCD screens. About the Platinum Edition, Motor Trend said, “The wood inlay worthy of a Louis XIV armoire and French-stitched leather everywhere make this the best-finished cabin in an SUV as far as I’m concerned.”

For its size, the rear cargo area behind the third row is, well, puny, 16.9 cubic feet – enough room for a small grocery run, but not much more. For additional space, the third-row seatbacks can be folded, but this doesn’t yield a flat surface. The next step is tumbling the seats forward like the second-row seats. This is a pain-in-the-rear arrangement compared to competitors with a flat-fold third row.

On The Road

If you have never driven a large SUV, it takes some time to become acclimated to its size and driving dynamics. Fortunately, sight lines are excellent and the blind-spot detection system and backup camera are welcome features. As for parking the big rig, it’s best to park head in unless you are very adept at parallel parking.

For those familiar with a big SUV, the Escalade Hybrid driving experience is rather ordinary. Ordinary meaning that with a body-on-frame construction, independent front suspension and solid rear axle, the ride is slightly truck like. But only slightly. You will know when a big pothole is encountered, but it’s not a harsh event. Cadillac has smoothed the ride with a touring suspension that incorporates GM’s Magnetic Ride Control, which reads the road up to 1,000 times a second.

The Escalade Hybrid feels planted during cornering and stable when cruising at 70 mph on the highway. Forbes reported, “Escalade Hybrid is remarkably composed around curves and on rough surfaces, and is a positive locomotive on a long road trip.” NADA Guides remarked, “With a firm grip on the wheel and an eye for the next curve ahead, the Escalade performed far better than I expected.”

The Detroit News reviewer reported, “The ride literally glides along the highway. The 6-liter engine and electric motor produce absolutely silky smooth acceleration.” And about the steering, he says, “The electric rack-in-pinion steering feels exact without feeling overbearing. The Escalade is surprisingly easy to maneuver, and the advantage of the electric motor operating the steering system means it can tighten up at higher speeds and loosen up when silently cruising around parking lots.”

Regenerative braking systems are often dissed because of their quirky feel. But Automobile Magazine said, “Countless hours of seat time went toward blending the EVT’s regenerative braking with the Escalade’s physical braking system, and the transitions between the two are indistinguishable.”

Is The Green Tech Worth The Greenbacks?

Because Cadillac equips the Escalade Hybrid with a long list of standard features, an apples-to-apples comparison to the various gas-powered Escalade models is difficult. The closest is the base Hybrid versus the Luxury trim edition, priced at $67,395 for rear drive, $69,945 for 4WD, a $6,455 premium for the Hybrid. But comparisons should also include fuel mileage. The gas engine Escalade’s EPA ratings are 14/18/16 combined for RWD, 13/18/15 for 4WD. The Hybrid’s numbers are 20/23/21 combined for both rear- and four-wheel drive.

If you want most of the luxury amenities, eight passenger seating, the towing capacity, but none of the bling, the 2013 GMC Yukon Denali Hybrid could be a better choice. Priced starting at $60,635 this GMC hybrid is more than $13,000 less than the Escalade and has the same EPA fuel economy ratings. If you want a luxury badge and are willing to give up some interior room, test drive Audi’s Q7 TDI. It’s a diesel powered seven-seat crossover with a starting price of $52.000, including all-wheel drive. That’s $24,400 less than the base 4WD Escalade and has an EPA fuel economy rating of 17/25/20 combined.

As for cost of ownership, the 2013 Escalade Hybrid is too new to calculate. However, Vincentric, an automotive analysis firm, just released its 2012 Hybrid Analysis and since there is no price increase for the 2013 Escalade, this report is a good guideline. Comparing the gasoline Escalade to the Escalade Hybrid, Vincentric shows that the hybrid model would save $4,986 in gasoline costs over five years.

The Cadillac Escalade is certainly no Prius, but then it was never meant to be. If you need a really big seven- or eight-seat vehicle – and are flush enough to bankroll the taste of luxury, this $70,000-plus hybrid SUV may be your cup of tea.

What’s Next For The Escalade Hybrid?

General Motors had planned all-new models of its full-size sport utilities, including the Escalade, for the 2013 model year, but put off production as it worked its way through bankruptcy. Now, according to gminsidenews.com, the automaker is leaning towards canceling almost all of the hybrid variants of the new SUVs and trucks that are scheduled to debut as 2014 models at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in January or 2013 Chicago Auto Show in February.

The Escalade Hybrid may escape the chopping block. If so, it will continue to be built upon GM’s full-size truck platform, including a live rear axle for towing, and will not switch to a crossover design. Fuel economy gains will come from weight reduction, a smaller displacement V8 engine, upgrading the battery to a lithium-ion pack, revised electric motors and possibly, an all-new four-mode electrically variable transmission.

Prices are manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) at time of publication and do not include destination charges, taxes or licensing.

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General Motors verified previous rumors on Wednesday that the 2009 Cadillac Converj concept will go into production as the Cadillac ELR.

The luxury car based on a Chevy Volt’s “Voltec” powertrain debuted at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, and GM was noncommittal for quite some time as to whether it would build it, even though enthusiasts immediately praised the Converj concept.

“The concept generated instant enthusiasm,” Vice President-Cadillac Marketing Don Butler said to CNN Money. “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.”

The Volt is practically edging into Cadillac territory in some respects already, so this new vehicle is likely to be a very special car.

Cadillac said it chose to call the new vehicle the “ELR” to indicate the car’s electric propulsion technology and to stay consistent with the brand’s 3-letter international model naming convention.

Recent rumors have said the previously un-named development upon the Converj concept will use a Volt 1.5 generation powertrain sporting more gasoline and electric power, as well as all amenities one would expect from a premium car.

But General Motors has not announced its specifications, price, or when it will be built. The company said it will do so “later,” but otherwise is drumming up the enthusiasm for its pending encore to the Volt and Opel/Vauxhall Ampera.

“There’s no mistaking it for anything but a Cadillac. An aggressive, forward-leaning profile and proportion showcases a uniquely shaped, modern vision of a personal luxury 2+2,” GM (GM, Fortune 500) Vice President of Global Design Ed Welburn said.

As a “2+2,” the ELR will, like the Volt and Ampera, fit two people up front, and two in the rear seats. It will be about the same dimensions as a Volt/Ampera.

Although GM is not saying, Bloomberg added to the rumors by reporting “a person familiar with the plans” has said GM will price the ELR below the $57,400 Tesla Model S. Performance was estimated by this same reported insider as being at least as fast as the Volt, with more all-electric range.

Considering a fully spec’d 2012 Volt will cost north of $45,000, what will this mean if the estimated mid-50s price for the ELR is true? Would GM retroactively decrease the Volt’s price to keep the Cadillac from cannibalizing its sales? Or do you think a $10,000 or so spread between the Cadillac and Chevrolet will be enough?

And speaking of more luxurious, how closely spec’d do you think the production ELR will be to the beautifully appointed Converj which had wool-blend carpets, silk headliner, synthetic suede, genuine leather, wood and aluminum trim, highly sophisticated electronics, and more?

CNN Money, Bloomberg

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Chevrolet will brighten up its small car offerings when it introduces the Spark in 2012. Fuel economy for the minicar with edgy styling could reach 45 mpg or higher.

In 2012, G.M. will also introduce the Buick Verano compact car, built on the same platform at the Chevy Cruze. (The Chinese version was unveiled in June as the Buick Excelle GTT.) The Verano shares styling cues with the Buick LaCrosse sedan, which is expected to get a hybrid system, maybe the new and improved mild hybrid technology GM talked about last week.

A production version of the GMC Granite ultra-small wagon-truck mix-up, built on a compact car platform, is expected to come to market in 2013. The rumor mill has the Granite powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-four, possibly mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.

GMC Granite concept

G.M.’s emphasis on size reduction and fuel efficiency extends to the Cadillac brand— with an ATS compact car due in the 2013 or 2014 model year. Clues to ATS styling come from the Cadillac Converj, the luxury plug-in hybrid concept that G.M. dropped in favor of cheaper plug-in hybrids with shorter all-electric range.

Cadillac Converj

Of course, it’s too early to confirm fuel economy numbers, final design decisions, or pricing. But it’s clear that smaller will only get bigger as G.M. and other global automakers anticipate higher fuel prices.

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The decision, if verified by GM, represents an acknowledgement of the high cost of producing plug-in hybrids that run for long distances without using any gasoline—rather than the type of plug-in hybrids that can use smaller and therefore less expensive battery packs. The Cadillac Converj was intended to follow the design of the Chevy Volt—referred to as an extended-range electric vehicle or plug-in series hybrid—which runs up to 40 miles before the gas engine is used to maintain the vehicle’s range.

“The future lies in plug-in hybrids with smaller electric range,” Eric Noble, president of CarLab, an Orange, California-based automotive consultant, told Bloomberg. Dropping the Converj is “a tacit admission from GM that they over-batteried the Volt.”

Right-Sizing Plug-in Hybrid Batteries

The three major categories of electric-drive vehicles are conventional hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and pure electric cars. Conventional hybrids, like the Toyota Prius, will continue to use relatively small battery packs—while pure electric cars require much larger batteries in order to deliver approximately 100 miles of range between charges.

The decision to drop the Cadillac Converj underscores the debate about the optimal size of the battery pack for a plug-in hybrid, which offers many of the benefits of an electric car—such as using energy pulled from the electric grid or rooftop solar panels—while providing a driving range which matches or exceeds a gas-powered vehicles.

Cost is a major factor. GM has insisted that 40 miles of range, without using a single drop of gasoline, is critical. However, Toyota plans to offer a plug-in version of the Prius with about 13 miles of all-electric range, and Ford’s Escape Plug-in Hybrid will provide around 30 electric miles—with both vehicles expected to put the internal combustion engine to some use throughout the drive cycle, if it means overall greater efficiency. This approach is sometimes called a “blended” strategy. GM’s own plug-in hybrid SUV in the works is reportedly aiming for approximately 10 miles of electric-only range.

One of the key questions that auto engineers hope to answer with plug-in hybrid pilot programs is how small they can make the battery pack—to reduce cost—while daily driving remains gas-free.

According to executives quoted on the Bloomberg story, the extra cost of pushing the Cadillac Converj’s electric-only range even to 20 miles would be $30,000. Pat Morrissey, a GM spokesman, declined to comment on the future of the Converj.

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Interview with Mark LaNeve, vice president of sales, service, and marketing for North America, on March 31, 2009.

For most of the discussion, LaNeve and Alterman talked about restoring consumer confidence and the future of GM brands. But in the final minutes of the 11-minute interview, the discussion turned toward fuel-efficiency and smaller cars. LaNeve said the company knows how to produce high-performance vehicles, but at this time emphasizing smaller efficient vehicles is “a better message to send to our key stakeholders, to our customers, and certainly to the government whose made that a requirement of our viability.”

Alterman asked: “How do you deal with a government that doesn’t have a solid energy or transportation policy? How do you design for a government that says build smaller cars, but we’re not going to step on the political third rail of a gas tax?”

LaNeve replied:

Based on LaNeve’s response, does GM have a sufficient commitment toward fuel-efficient technologies and to consumers eager for cutting-edge green vehicles?

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Hybrid stalwarts Honda and Toyota are making a move to capitalize on their early investment in gas-electric technology by increasing production numbers, lowering costs, and offering hybrids for around $20,000. Electric car and plug-in hybrid startups, Tesla and Fisker, are hoping to enter the market with exotic green machines in the neighborhood of six figures—and then to demonstrate profitability, and slowly work toward follow-up models at $50,000 or below. General Motors is somewhere stuck in the middle when it comes to its plug-in hybrids, like the Chevrolet Volt.

The Volt likely will carry a sticker price around $40,000—steep for a Chevrolet product—and still not turn a profit for years. Bob Lutz, GM’s product czar, said, “In terms of recovering the cost from the technology, doing it in a Cadillac would have made it financially easier to do.” We don’t have to wonder what a luxury version of the Volt would look like. The company unveiled the Cadillac Converj concept vehicle at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

Why a “Cadi-Volt”?

Built on the mechanicals of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the Cadillac Converj won rave reviews at the show, with its aggressive coupe profile, angular lines, and sleek, elegant exterior. An Escalade Hybrid, it definitely ain’t.

Those underlying mechanicals, now known as Voltec (nee E-Flex), are largely unchanged for the Converj. They include a 16-kilowatt-hour battery pack powering the 120-kilowatt electric motor that drives the front wheels, for an all-electric range of 40 miles, with a range-extending 1.4-liter engine to power a generator that recharges the pack for another 300-plus miles of travel. While the control electronics might be retuned for slightly better performance, the Converj wasn’t about technical specs. A company press release states: “The four-passenger Converj concept is intended to show how GM’s revolutionary electric propulsion technology…can power a luxury coupe with a typically Cadillac ‘no compromises’ design.”

Cadillac Cues

The “aggressive, forward-leaning” profile is supported on large wheels and tires: 21-inch diameter in the front, 22 inches at the rear. A glass roof incorporates solar panels that can power vehicle accessories, and like the Volt, the Converj minimizes aerodynamic drag. It has a full belly pan to smooth airflow below the car, the grille openings are minimal, and its outside mirrors were even replaced with video cameras to eliminate the drag they added.

Now-traditional Cadillac style cues include the light-pipe technology in the vertical headlamps and tail lamps, fitted with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and high-intensity discharge elements.

The Converj also uses the Magnetic Ride Control suspension pioneered on Cadillac’s pricey XLR two-seater. In this system, damping is provided by electrorheological fluid whose viscosity changes millisecond by millisecond as a magnetic field affects the magnetic particles suspended in it.

The Cadillac theme of “art and science” is most visible inside the concept, which blends high-tech electronics with luxurious materials.

Black leather and white synthetic suede upholstery is matched to aluminum and wood-grain accents, and the designers attempted to use sustainable materials. The suede comes from “post-industrial content” (when was the last time you heard that about a Cadillac interior?), the carpeting blends in real wool, and the headliner is made of silk.

The instrument cluster uses an organic light-emitting-diode (OLED) display, just like the crispest and priciest monitors. All the controls are operated through a touchscreen (think iPhone), and the exterior cameras that supplant rear-view mirrors display their images on a screen high in the instrument panel.

Aerodynamics and Cash Flow

But let’s hope that its stylists did their homework on the aerodynamics. If the Converj goes into production, we hope it won’t vary as much as the 2011 Volt does from the very different shape of the concept shown in 2007, which was striking but proved wildly un-aerodynamic. The design of the Volt’s more aerodynamic production version is much more sedate. The Dallas Morning News said it “looks like the quintessential rental car.”

Perhaps Lutz and the gang are still smarting from criticism about those design changes. At the Detroit Auto Show, he emphatically stated that if the Converj goes into production, it will look “exactly like” the concept version. That’s a big if. Before the Converj goes into production, according to Lutz, GM has to prove four things: that the company has the money to make the vehicle, that it’s a higher priority than other vehicles in the works, that the Converj can make money, and that there’s customer interest. “It’s going to be financially tough sliding,” said Lutz.

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GM’s product czar Bob Lutz announced last week that he will be retiring at the end of the year. The green car world came to know Mr. Lutz as both the jet-flying, cigar-chomping disser of global warming and the forward-looking product chief who introduced the Chevy Volt. His role as Volt champion made him the unlikely affirmer of General Motors’s effort to reinvent itself as environmentally friendly.

In an interview with Tom Krisher of AP last Monday, Lutz bemoaned what he saw as a depressing new period of government oversight, one driven by the need for higher fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions. Explaining how he felt that his abilities no longer fit the times, Lutz said that the new era “doesn’t really play to my greatest skills, which were perhaps more in the intuitive, emotional area with sort of a sense for what the market would want.”

Green? Lack of emotion? No, it’s not Lutz’s talent that is out of step. It’s his worldview.
Lutz epitomizes the “Old Detroit” in terms of ecological attitudes, a cohort of corporate leaders who rose to the top eerily disconnected from the parallel rise of environmental values in American culture.

Deep Denial

For whatever reasons, most US auto executives saw green only as inherently “anti-car” rather than as a chance to redefine the car for a new world that is very different than that of their formative years. Bill Ford was pilloried for trying, though he had his finger on the pulse of the future a good bit before it arrived to catch his peers off guard.

The Old Detroit zeitgeist remained in deep denial across the turn of the century even as Honda and Toyota brought practical hybrids to market, soon followed by 9/11, Arianna Huffington’s Detroit Project, mounting fears of the end of oil, melting glaciers in Lutz’s Swiss homeland, and then escalating—and last summer spiking—gasoline prices. All of those factors and then some will meld into the still unfolding but emotive formulas that define what sells in the years ahead.

In short, customer-oriented intuition is needed more than ever. However, it will have to be applied with a much different understanding of what the car can be. Thus, it’s not Lutz’s core skill that is passé. It’s his mind-set about what will be—indeed, is already starting to be—valued by a new generation of car buyers.

Throwing Technology at the Problem

Lutz himself seemed to get this when, remarking on the growing success of hybrids during the 2005 Detroit auto show, he said “We forgot about the emotional impact and the fact that a lot of people out there want to make an environmental statement.”

But the Volt also epitomizes the view that the solution to the environmental challenge is expensive new technology. Lutz is being succeeded by the GM’s executive vice president for global powertrain, Thomas Stephens. The Wall Street Journal writes, Stephens is “well-versed in what goes on under the hood, which is precisely where GM and other US automakers have to play catch up with some foreign rivals.”

A Lutzian Passion, For Green

While technology has a role to play—as it had for the muscle-car era—success won’t only or even mainly be found in the tech fix. The public relations blitz that GM has built around the Chevy Volt may reveal a glimmer of realization that some serious sales hooks might be colored green.

But it’s not yet clear that they’re connecting the dots, which critics point out may take a retooling of corporate culture much deeper than one futuristic product can provide. Lutz himself undertook at least the start of such retooling as he enlivened GM’s mainstream product strategy.

So, as Bob Lutz fires up his afterburners to smear one last exhaust plume across the evening sky, perhaps a new car guy (or girl) is being cultivated inside GM. That person might be tattooed and body-pierced, but will surely be well wired to the world around us. And if he or she has a Lutzian passion for product, the company will have hope for triumph in a new era.

This article was contributed to HybridCars.com by John DeCicco, senior fellow, Environmental Defense Fund.

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