Talkin' 'Bout Regeneration: Cadillac ELR Lets Driver Harness Power

A new feature set to debut next year on the Cadillac ELR puts control over energy regeneration in the driver's hands. Equipped with the Regen on Demand system, the extended-range electric compact luxury coupe uses paddle shifters that enable the driver to temporarily control the regenerative braking system, which captures and stores braking energy in the battery pack for later use.

To engage Regen on Demand, the driver removes their foot from the accelerator and pulls back on either the left or right steering-wheel paddle, according to Cadillac. That provides greater deceleration than normal coasting and is similar to when a driver downshifts with a manual transmission, Cadillac stated. Releasing the paddle disengages the feature, allowing the vehicle to coast normally; it cannot stop the vehicle.

"Regen on Demand enables ELR drivers to actively recapture energy when slowing down, such as when approaching slower traffic or setting up for a tight turn," said Chris Thomason, ELR chief engineer. "This allows the driver to take a more active role in the electric vehicle driving experience."

Most-Watched Videos of the Week

On its first time out, the 2014 Toyota Tundra froze the popular Ford Atlas in its tracks after the concept truck's three consecutive weeks atop our most-watched videos list. The No. 1 video features PickupTrucks.com Editor Mark Williams' introduction of the new Tundra during its unveiling this month at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show. Toyota's full-size pickup, Williams explains, adopts a "more dominating stance" with its new exterior design. Also showing dominance were our videos from this year's Chicago Auto Show, which accounted for all but one of the top clips and included the 2014 versions of the Cadillac ELR, Chevrolet Cruze Diesel and Nissan Juke NISMO. Here's what was popular:

1. 2014 Toyota Tundra
2. Ford Atlas Concept
3. 2014 Cadillac ELR
4. 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel
5. 2013 Nissan Juke NISMO

2014 Cadillac ELR Video

With sleek styling rivaling Cadillac's own CTS coupe and luxury flourishes you might not find in comparable plug-ins, the 2014 Cadillac ELR aims for the best of both worlds. Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays explains that the new ELR uses an electric motor and a small turbocharged four-cylinder engine; the combination is good for 35 miles of electric-only range and 300 miles of total range.

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Inside, Mays says an abundance of high-quality materials — lots of leather, carbon fiber and stitching details — helps perpetuate its premium rep. Still, things such as un-Caddie-like trunk space and awkwardly positioned door handles annoy. Mays says we’ll have to wait and see if the yet-to-be-announced price will be worth it. Watch the video below.

2013 Chicago Auto Show: What to Expect

The Windy City is considered one of the fan-friendliest destinations during auto-show season, and to that end the 2013 Chicago Auto Show is unlikely to disappoint. This show will give visitors a first glimpse of a few new vehicles along with a closer look at a host of exciting cars that made flashy debuts at the Detroit auto show.

The 2013 Chicago show — the 105th time the event has been held since 1901, according to organizers — will be open to the public 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Feb. 9-17 and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 18, with media and charity previews Feb. 7-8, at McCormick Place, 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive. Organizers promote the Chicago show as the largest in terms of exhibit space used, as it occupies 1 million square feet of floor space and hosts about 1,000 vehicles.

For those most interested in the latest thing, the Chicago show will host the world debuts of the redesigned 2014 Toyota Tundra full-size pickup truck and the Kia Cross GT Concept. That's in addition to the North American reveal of the new Chevrolet Cruze Diesel. The 2014 Ram ProMaster van and the custom Superman-inspired Kia Optima Hybrid also are expected to be unveiled.

2014 Cadillac ELR: Up Close

There is little lost in the transition from the Cadillac Converj concept car to the Cadillac ELR production car under the auto-show lights. It's a successful testimony to the efforts of GM's design and engineering staffs, who were told to basically reproduce the concept as-is.

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They have done so, and the result is striking — a low-slung, swoopy, angular coupe more reminiscent of the Lamborghini Gallardo from some angles than the Volt. LED headlamps rise into the fender that sweeps back in a wedge to muscular rear flanks housing LED taillamps, which also stretch into the fender. The look is extremely distinctive; it honestly looks like a show car for the street.

Inside, things are even more impressive.

2014 Cadillac ELR: Photo Gallery

The Chevy Volt has company: Cadillac unveiled its version of the extended-range electric vehicle, the ELR, at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

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Like the Volt, the ELR will have an approximate 35-mile EV range before the 1.4-liter four-cylinder range-extending motor kicks in. Cadillac says it'll offer more than 300 miles of total range. The coupe, however, will have a more upscale interior than the Volt as well as a more sophisticated suspension, 20-inch wheels and Cadillac's CUE multimedia system. Check out the gallery below.

2014 Cadillac ELR at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show

GM has produced its second car to use the extended-range hybrid powertrain first introduced in the Chevrolet Volt, wrapping the front-wheel-drive EV system in a striking two-door Cadillac luxury coupe. The ELR is a 2+2 version of the Volt, but features a far more luxurious interior, a more sophisticated suspension, 20-inch wheels and a proprietary Cadillac User Experience system.

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The electric performance should be similar to the Volt. The ELR will have an approximate 35-mile EV range before the 1.4-liter four-cylinder range-extending motor kicks in, allowing more than 300 miles of total range, but the coupe should deliver a more entertaining driving experience, as is befitting Cadillac's image.

2013 Detroit Auto Show: What To Expect

As what is widely regarded as the most important U.S. auto show of the year opens next week in Detroit, an automotive icon returns to the claim the spotlight.

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette is poised to be the star among the more than 50 production and concept vehicles slated to debut at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The show runs Jan. 19-27 — with press, industry and charity preview events on Monday-Jan. 18 — at downtown Detroit's Cobo Center. Last year's NAIAS attracted nearly 771,000 people, according to organizers.

Sunday night's press debut of the seventh-generation Corvette is hotly anticipated, and for nearly the past three months Chevy has done much to fan the flames, teasing us with tidbits of information and blink-and-you-missed-it video images. The automaker has disclosed that the new 'Vette will have a new 6.2-liter V-8 engine that's good for 450 horsepower and a zero-to-60-mph time of less than four seconds — all while improving on its 2013 predecessor's 26 mpg; Chevy also has said the 2014 model's aerodynamics were designed with Corvette's years of racing in the American Le Mans Series in mind.

Check back for full coverage of the 2013 Detroit auto show. Until then, here are the vehicles we know about now:

Cadillac to Unveil 2014 ELR at 2013 Detroit Auto Show

Although Cadillac still hasn't released specifics on the 2014 ELR, the automaker announced today that the production version of the extended-range electric coupe will debut Jan. 15 at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Kicking Tires reported earlier that the four-seat ELR will borrow powertrain components from the Chevrolet Volt and will also be produced at the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant. Cadillac said that the ELR will feature a T-shaped lithium battery, electric power and four-cylinder engine generator. Like the Volt, the coupe's engine will kick in when the car reaches the end of its electric-only range.

While its powertrain is similar to that of the Volt, GM expects that one of ELR's strong selling points will be its exterior design. "Based on the Converj concept, ELR combines dramatic design with industry-leading extended-range electric vehicle technology in a luxury coupe," the automaker said in a news release.

The Converj concept, which we last saw at the 2009 Detroit auto show, shared the Volt's 40-mile electric-only range but differentiated itself with its luxury styling, which harkened the Cadillac CTS coupe.

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Cadillac ELR Coupe To Be Built Alongside Chevrolet Volt

Cadillac's ELR extended-range hybrid coupe will be assembly-plant buddies with the Chevrolet Volt and its international variations — the Opel Ampera and Holden Volt — when production starts in late 2013. GM will soon be preparing the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant to build the ELR; you may remember it as the Converj concept from 2009. If your memory is fuzzy, revisit the Converj here.

The four-seat ELR will borrow some powertrain components from the Volt and feature a T-shaped lithium-ion battery, electric power and four-cylinder engine generator. Like the Volt, the ELR's engine will fire up to feed the battery when the car runs out of juice after driving on electric power only. Beyond those basics, Cadillac hasn’t divulged much regarding the ELR’s specs or price.

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Cadillac Converj Concept at 2009 Detroit Auto Show  
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