Cadillac to market plug-in coupe

DETROIT -- General Motors said today that it will sell a Cadillac coupe with plug-in technology similar to that of the Chevrolet Volt.

GM first showed the car, the Converj, as a concept at the 2009 Detroit auto show. The car will be called the Cadillac ELR.

The vehicle's development is "just under way, so details on performance, price and timing will be announced later," GM said.

The ELR will use propulsion technology similar to that of the Volt, which went on sale in late 2010.

Cadillac says the ELR will be equipped with a T-shaped, lithium-ion battery, an electric drive and a four-cylinder engine that serves as a generator.

The Volt is designed to operate primarily on battery power. When battery power has been reduced by about 65 percent, a gasoline generator kicks in to provide electricity to the motors. It has an electric-only range of 25 to 50 miles. When the gasoline engine is required, the range can be extended by hundreds of additional miles.

"The concept generated instant enthusiasm," Don Butler, Cadillac's vice president of marketing, said in a statement. "The ELR will offer something not otherwise present: the combination of electric propulsion with striking design and the fun of luxury coupe driving."

The announcement comes amid a spate of future-product news from Cadillac, which has seen sales cool in recent months after a big comeback in 2010.

On Thursday, GM's luxury brand will unveil another concept at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California.

It also recently confirmed plans to add two cars in 2012: the XTS large sedan and the ATS compact.