However, the long-term survival of the company may well depend more on pivoting into being an energy storage company rather than an automaker.
Since Sunday’s announcement in Shanghai of the Cadillac CT6 plug-in hybrid, there has been some interesting discussion and speculation about how far the car will go on a full charge of its battery and what sort of energy efficiency it will achieve. Cadillac and GM officials have declined to get specific about technical details beyond the limited information in the U.S. press release. However, the release on GM’s Chinese media site lists 37 miles. Let’s take a look at where the EPA estimate will likely end up.
Details on the new +Cadillac PHEV are limited but the battery has the same cell count and capacity as the second generation +Chevrolet Volt so I do a bit of speculating.
As we saw so clearly at this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit, any brand that wants to stay competitive in the premium vehicle segments needs to aggressively adopt electrified powertrains. At the Shanghai Motor Show today, Cadillac joined the crowd that already includes Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo. GM’s top brand already revealed the full-size CT6 luxury sedan with conventional gasoline powertrains a few weeks ago at its new hometown show in New York. In China, Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen is highlighting a new plug-in hybrid powertrain that will in all likelihood find a home throughout most of the brand’s lineup.
Even in our increasingly globalized automotive landscape, one segment has remained most uniquely American – the full-size pickup truck. For decades, the big pickup remained hidebound, devoid of technical or design innovation. In the absence of notable competition, Ford’s F-series led the way in sales, followed by GM with Dodge in a far distant third. But then 20 years ago, tired of being the third-wheel to its cross-town rivals, Chrysler under the leadership of one Bob Lutz, decided to shake things up and the truck market has never been the same. Trucks like the 2015 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn EcoDiesel are a prime example of the goodness that can come from real competitive pressure.
For the 2016 model year, +Cadillac is giving the +Chevrolet Volt-based extended range EV coupe some updates and $9,000 price cut that will hopefully spur some sales. Despite it's stunning looks, the excessively high price and so-so performance of the ELR have severely hampered sales. A revised sport mode enables more of a hybrid style of control with the engine and electric drive to provide more power and cut the 0-60 time by 1.5 seconds to 6.4 seconds.
Ever since the the Volt launched in late 2010 followed a few years later by the ELR, the powertrain control has consisted of four modes. When the battery has sufficient charge, the car runs electrically using either one or both motors depending on the speed. Once the battery runs down, at speeds up to about 70 mph, the engine would start up to maintain the battery charge while the main electric motor provided drive. At higher speeds, some torque from the engine would also be blended in along with the second motor. This whole setup provided greater efficiency at high speeds.
The sport mode now enables that blended driving control at lower speeds for more aggressive acceleration. We'll see if this is enough to spur sales until the ELR is discontinued entirely.
For those like that are enthusiastic about automobiles and driving, we are truly in a golden age right now. From hot hatches like the VW GTI and Ford Fiesta ST although up to the current crop of supercars, there is something for everyone including the classic muscle car. But unlike the original muscle cars of the 1960s that could barely traverse a frost heave without getting all sideways, today’s breed like the 2015 Dodge Charger R/T have better performance while being absolutely liveable as daily drivers.
By July 1963, the upper intake had been added, courtesy Ford Motor Company Archives
It’s not often anymore that automakers actually get to keep anything completely secret heading into auto show season. Aside, from the Buick Avenir concept which no one really saw coming, the closest thing to a true secret at this year’s North American International Auto Show was the all-new third-generation Ford GT. While rumors had been swirling about this car ever since someone associated with long-time Ford Racing partner MultiMatic mentioned something in passing last summer, there were none of the usual teasers from Ford, no spy photos, nothing at all in fact to indicate what the new Dearborn supercar would look like.
In general, I like small cars with surprisingly powerful engines and bigger than normal tires and brakes. Mini Coopers, Fiesta STs and GTIs all tend to be a hoot to drive even at less than insane speeds. Chrysler has some good and not so good history in the segment with the old Neon SRT4 and the Caliber SRT4. Now that the team at Auburn Hills are part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, they are offering up the Fiat 500 Abarth. Where will it fall on the spectrum?
At the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, we got the first concrete results of the commitment that Sergio Marchionne made back in 2009 in exchange for getting a controlling interest in Chrysler. Dodge rolled out the Dart compact sedan, the first new product based on a Fiat platform. Unlike the ungainly, outgoing Caliber hatchback, the Dart was a four-door sedan that looked vaguely like a blend of the late lamented Neon and the recently refreshed Charger.
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