Luxury US brand plans plug-in hybrid

(General Motors)

General Motors is working to produce a new plug-in hybrid vehicle for its top-end brand Cadillac, according to US media reports.

The firm, which makes the recently-released Chevrolet Volt, is currently developing a plug-in hybrid based on the Cadillac SRX, a crossover SUV, Automotive News reported December 17.

Citing individuals with knowledge of the work, Automotive News said that the Cadillac plug-in will share some of the technology which has been developed for the Volt, an electric vehicle with built-in range extender.

At the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show, General Motors showcase the Converj, a luxury vehicle with electric drive which it described as "the 'Cadillac' of electric vehicles."

It shared the Volt's engine system and offers an all-electric range of 40 miles before switching to an extended-range mode to power the car for several hundred miles more.

Despite a generally favorable response to the concept, General Motors killed the "well-appointed grand touring coupe" in March 2010, reportedly in favour of cheaper models with wider mass-market appeal.

With Opel/Vauxhall planning to introduce the Volt into Europe next year, many have been left wondering which brand would be next for General Motors' electrification strategy as it tries to convince the public it is embracing green vehicle in the wake of its massive taxpayer-funded bailout.

Read the full story at Automotive News