Combining a sexy fastback-coupe design with GM's Voltec electric propulsion system that is similar to the one found in the Chevy Volt, the Cadillac Converj concept made its debut today in Detroit. The four-passenger Converj concept is equipped with 16-kWh, T-shaped battery pack with more than 220 lithium-ion cells, an electric drive unit, and a four-cylinder engine-generator, using electricity as its primary power source. Cadillac supports that the Converj can be driven electrically up to 40 miles without using fuel or producing tailpipe emissions.
It takes less than three hours to recharge the 2+2 coupe's battery at 240V, or about eight hours from a 120V outlet. Just like the Volt, when the battery's energy is low, electricity needed to power the vehicle is created on-board by a flex-fuel-powered engine that operates much like a home generator to create electricity.
The electric engine powers the front-wheels delivering 273 lb.-ft. (370 Nm) of instant torque, for a quick launch, and 120 kW of power. The Converj's top speed is 100 mph.
Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman of Global Product Development, said the Converj concept has production substance. "It's a logical extension of our plan to reinvent the automobile," he said. "It clearly shows what a Cadillac electric vehicle could look like, and clearly indicates that global luxury customers can have a car that has both strong design and electric propulsion with a total range of hundreds of anxiety-free miles."
