At a Society of Automotive Analysts in July, GM’s Vice Chairman Bob Lutz confirmed that the Cadillac Converj will enter production and would appear sometime after 2012.

According to a report by Bloomberg today, GM has now stopped work on the Cadillac Converj, an electric-drive Caddy coupe similar to the Chevrolet Volt. Two executives familiar with the move said that GM decided to kill the production Converj to focus on cheaper plug-in hybrids for its luxury brand.

The executives said that GM came to the conclusion that the Converj couldn’t have enough amenities and electric-range to be compelling to buyers and produce a profit for the automaker.

We’re not sure exactly what other “plug-in hybrids for its luxury brand means” but we’re pretty sure we’ll hear something official from Lutz in the coming days.

Click here for more news on the Cadillac Converj.

Cadillac Converj Concept:

- By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Bloomberg

General Motors’ Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has officially confirmed that the Cadillac Converj Concept will enter production and will use the same Voltec technology as the Chevrolet Volt.

Speaking at a Society of Automotive Analysts meeting Sunday, Lutz declined to give any official date on the production Converj, but said it would appear after 2012.

“You’ll see it when you see it,” he said. “We have to slot it into the product lineup.”

Who is GM targeting with the Converj? Lutz said that the Detroit automaker is looking at those folks living in congested U.S. coastal areas who are willing to pay high prices for fuel-efficient luxury vehicles.

Click here for more news on the Cadillac Converj.

Refresher: The Cadillac Converj Concept is powered by GM’s Voltec-system along with 4-cylinder engine that produces 161-hp with a maximum torque of 273 lb-ft. The Converj can travel up 40 miles on battery-power alone. Top speed is rated at 100 mph. GM says that it takes less than 3 hours to recharge the battery at 240V and about 8 hours from a 120V outlet.

Cadillac Converj Concept:

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

At the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, General Motors surprised the world by unveiling a plug-in hybrid Cadillac known as the Converj. At that time General Motors made it clear that it had no plans to put the Converj into production. However, since Maximum Bob Lutz made his return to General Motors after taking a short retirement, talk of the Converj finding its way back into GM’s product line has been gaining some flame.

Just last month Bob Lutz admitted that the Converj is one possible application of the Voltec system found in the 2011 Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric-vehicle. According to a new report by BusinesWeek, with most of the Converj’s opponents pushed out in the wake of GM’s bankruptcy reorganization, a new team of executives are trying to find a way to get the car engineered and funded.

The idea of putting the Converj into production died last spring, right before former GM North America President Troy Clarke and Mark McNabb, who ran Cadillac, left the company in May. Apparently, both opposed the idea of a production Converj.

BusinessWeek made it clear that the Converj has not been approved for funding yet, but Lutz and other executives think the Converj, which could get a different name for the production model, would do wonders to Cadillac’s image as a technology leader in the luxury market

The Converj Concept is powered by GM’s next-generation Voltec system made up of 16kWh, a T-shaped lithium-ion battery, an electric-drive unit and a flex-fuel 4-cylinder engine. That helps produce a total of 161-hp with a maximum torque of 273 lb-ft.

How many miles per gallon will it get? Something close to the Volt’s outstanding 230 mpgs.

2009 Cadillac Converj Concept:

The 2009 Cadillac Converj Concept, which made its debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, is one of the best looking concepts we’ve seen from General Motors. During a live chat today with Bob Lutz, a question about utilizing the Voltec platform from the Chevrolet Volt on other vehicles was asked.

Not giving away too much information, Lutz said that there are several potential applications that are currently being studied.

“Without being specific (and I know you’d like me to be), there are several potential future applications that we are currently studying,” Lutz said. “You did see the Cadillac Converj concept at the Detroit show. That’s one potential application.”

The Cadillac Converj Concept carries GM’s next-generation Voltec system made up of 16kWh, a T-shaped battery (made up of more than 220 lithium-ion cells), an electric-drive unit and a flex-fuel 4-cylinder engine-generator. That helps produce a total of 161-hp with a maximum torque of 273 lb-ft.

The Converj is able to travel 40 miles on battery power alone, after which an onboard gasoline engine will allow it to travel hundreds of additional miles. Recharging the battery takes less than 3 hours at 240V (about 8 hours from a 120V outlet).

2009 Cadillac Converj Concept:

- By: Omar Rana

Yesterday, Motor Trend released a report stating that General Motors has given the Cadillac Converj the go-ahead for production for 2011 as a 2012 model year. Today, the folks at Inside Line decided to contact General Motors asking them if the report held any weight.

“There is no change to the status of Converj,” Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell told Inside Line today. “It is a concept — a proposal — and it’s being reviewed, and the review is not completed.”

While we’re deeply saddened by Caldwell’s comments, we think that it’s the right decision on GM’s part since a pricey, luxury plug-in hybrid is the last thing the struggling automaker needs as it survives on the taxpayers money.

The Cadillac Converj Concept made its debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. It carries GM’s new Voltec-system along with 4-cylinder engine that helps it produce 161-hp. That allows the Converj to travel 40 miles on battery power alone with a top speed of 100 mph.

2009 Cadillac Converj Concept:

- By: Kap Shah

Source: Inside Line

According to a “well-placed source,” General Motors has apparently approved the Cadillac Converj concept for production. Motor Trend says that GM is looking to bring its extended-range electric-coupe to the roads by 2011 as a 2012 model.

And it doesn’t end there – sources say that GM will follow up with a Cadillac crossover SUV based on the Converj and Volt’s Voltec architecture. The Voltec crossover SUV could also be offered as a Buick. A GM spokesperson denies both reports but Motor Trend says that its source offers a “number of details that lend credence to the possibility” of approval.

The sources said that powertrain of the Converj will be very similar to that of the Volt but the battery mass would be increase to make the Cadillac coupe more powerful. It said that GM plans to build the car as a two-door coupe and not a four-door-coupe as Bob Lutz once suggested.

Either way, we guess we’ll find out soon enough.

Cadillac Converj:

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

Source: Motor Trend

General Motors on Monday asked the U.S. government for a total of $2.6 billion in low-interest government loans to support the development of three new hybrid vehicles – two of which it said will be spin-offs from the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid.

That brings GM’s loan request to $10.3 billion in aid from a U.S. Energy Department program that is designed to support the production of fuel-efficient vehicles. This is GM’s third request for loans under the new program.

This is the first time that GM has confirmed to produce other variants of the Volt. The two spin-off models will feature the same battery-powered electric motor and a 1.4L engine that will kick in after 40 miles of zero-emissions driving.

We’re just hoping that GM isn’t asking money to build a production version of the Cadillac Converj in a market like this. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt will go on sale late next year.

2011 Chevrolet Volt:

Cadillac Converj Concept:

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

Source: Reuters

Apparently two-door coupes are hard to sell and that’s one issue that’s keeping GM from putting its latest Cadillac Converj concept into production. According to Motor Trend, GM is now considering a four-door version of the Converj concept for production making it more of a four-door-coupe for Cadillac.

Don’t get too excited because sources say that the car won’t be here before 2013 and until GM executives can make a more solid business case for the car. GM’s Vice chairman Bob Lutz says that the production version of the Cadillac Converj will be as different from the concept model as the Camaro was from its concept. That’s not very much of a difference at all.

Insiders say that General Motors will be conducting study groups to help it decide on the car.

Refresher: Cadillac Converj Concept is powered by a Voltec-system along with 4-cylinder engine that produces 161-hp with a maximum torque of 273 lb-ft. The Converj can travel up 40 miles on battery-power alone. Top speed is rated at 100 mph. GM says that it takes less than 3 hours to recharge the battery at 240V and about 8 hours from a 120V outlet.

Cadillac Converj Concept:

Source: Motor Trend

It’s no surprise that General Motor’s tight finances will hold it back from producing a production version of a concept like the Cadillac Converj. But you have to ask yourself why cash-strapped GM would invest money in a concept that it sees no future for in the short-term – especially in terms of profitability.

According to Bob Lutz, GM’s Vice Chairman of global product development, the production version of the Converj would look exactly like that the concept – but that’s what he said about the Volt when it came out too. Either way, the Caddy version of the Volt is from from ready to be put into production.

“Ready to go? Well, first we have to prove to ourselves that we have the money,” Lutz told Automotive News. “And then that it’s a high enough priority to displace something else, and that we can actually make money on the vehicle, and that there is potential customer interest and so forth. We haven’t done any of that work yet.”

But it’s not the lithium-ion battery that’s the issue this time. GM already has a supplier for the battery for the Volt which will arrive in Nov. 2010. The problem with the Converj is pricing. Lutz says that GM would have to price the Converj as a luxury-coupe.

When asked whether the $40,000 Chevrolet Volt should be badged as a Cadillac, Lutz said: “Yes and no. In terms of recovering the cost from the technology, doing it in a Cadillac would have made it financially easier to do. On the other hand, we wanted something that was globally applicable, and our big — close to 5 million unit — brand is Chevrolet. So with the Volt, we can sell it around the world.”

Cadillac Converj:

• •  It’s a luxurious Caddy version of the Chevrolet Volt.
• •  Voltec-system along with 4-cylinder engine produces 161-hp.
• •  Travels 40 miles on battery-power; Top speed of 100 mph.
• •  Takes 3 hours to recharge at 240V.

GM has unveiled the much talked about E-REV Caddy concept. The new Cadillac Converj Concept made its debut today at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show showing off bold design and a range of interactive technology. Nothing has been said about a production version of the Converj but GM says that the concept is “intended to show how GM’s revolutionary electric propulsion technology – called Voltec – can power a luxury coupe with a typically Cadillac ‘no compromises’ design.”

Cadillac Converj’s Voltec system is made up of 16kWh, a T-shaped battery (made up of more than 220 lithium-ion cells), an electric-drive unit and a flex-fuel 4-cylinder engine-generator. That allows the Converj to produce a total of 161-hp with a maximum torque of 273 lb-ft. Working like a Extended-range electric-vehicle (E-REV) as the Chevrolet Volt, the Voltec technology allows the Converj to travel up to 40 miles on battery power alone. An onboard gasoline engine will allow it to travel hundreds of additional miles before it needs to be refueled or plugged in to recharge. Top speed is rated at 100 mph. GM says that it takes less than 3 hours to recharge the battery at 240V (about 8 hours from a 120V outlet). The Cadillac Converj also features GM’s Magnetic Ride Control which enhances ride-feel.

Click through for more details and the high-res image gallery.

2009 Cadillac Converj Concept:

Besides its sharp and aggressive good looks on the outside, the 2+2 Converj features Winter White synthetic suede and Midnight Black leather on the inside. The interior also has polished aluminum and wood grain accents. A headliner made from silk and suede and a wool-blend carpeting are made from renewable materials.

Technology found inside the Cadillac Converj:

- New, organic light-emitting diode technology used on reconfigurable instrument cluster
- Touch-screen navigation, climate, center-stack controls and audio systems
- Adjustable, overhead white ambient lighting
- Unique “power on” sequence featuring blue-lit console graphics
- Screen displays for features including regenerative braking, battery charge level and power output
- No inside rearview or outside mirrors; cameras provide surrounding images on a screen placed high on the instrument panel for a full, panoramic view
- Push-button ignition and power-folding front seats

2009 Cadillac Converj Concept: