The slow-selling Cadillac ELR plug-in hybrid is said to arrive at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show with a series of engineering upgrades that would make it more attractive for customers.
Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell told Edmunds that an improved version of the 2016 Cadillac ELR is in the works, with the revised model expected to debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2014.
While Caldwell used the words “engineering enhancements,” he didn’t get into details regarding the changes. The upgrades are meant to improve the ELR’s appeal over rivals like the BMW i3, Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid and Tesla Model S.
Expected to arrive in US dealerships in the first half of next year, the revised ELR skips a model year, with Caldwell explaining that there hasn’t been a 2015 ELR because the car debuted on January 1, 2014.
“The car is still on sale. The factory produced most of the cars that would satisfy U.S. distribution,” the executive said. Production of the ELR has been stopped due to inventory and a retooling of the Detroit-Hamtramck plant where the ELR is built alongside the Chevrolet Volt. The plant will resume production around Thanksgiving, Caldwell said.
Cadillac has had a hard time selling the 2014 ELR, with only 774 units being delivered in the U.S. from January through August 2014. The ELR’s biggest problem is its $75,995 starting price (including a $995 destination charge). While the car is eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 as well as state or local tax credits, buyers still keep the distance.
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