2014 Cadillac Converj - “Cadi-Volt” Electric car and plug-in hybrid

2014Hybrid.Com

Those underlying mechanicals, now known as Voltec (nee E-Flex), are largely unchanged for the 2014 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 2014 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.”

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 2014 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 2014 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 2014 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 2014 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.