Cadillac Converj Becoming a Reality

Speaking of building off of the Volt platform, the Detroit News is saying Cadillac will build a Converj. The Converj was a concept build off of the Volt idea, an Extended Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV).

Cadillac included the Converj in a presentation made to the board on November 2.

It would be years before a Converj could be built, and it would most likely look very little like the concept vehicle presented at the NAIAS, but it makes a lot of sense.

The plug-in hybrid technology built into the Volt is going to be very expensive for GM and the consumers who choose to buy it. The battery pack alone is supposedly going to cost 10 grand. The vehicle is expected to have a price tag around $40 thousand. By building a Volt-like Cadillac, you can expect the customer is OK with paying that much for a car.

"Cadillac needs as much excitement in its portfolio as possible, so I think it's a good strategy for them," said Rebecca Lindland, director of auto industry research at IHS Global Insight in Lexington, Mass.

As long as you're not looking for stupendous sales numbers, the luxury hybrid can do well.  None of the luxury hybrids sold so far can compete with the production of the Prius, but they do very well by luxury car standards.