Tag Archives: cadillac

Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Green at Heart

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The Cadillac Escalade Hybrid has a fundamentally different powertrain than the base Escalade.  The Escalade Hybrid is a true 2-stage hybrid powerplant, able to move on battery power or on gas propulsion.

Energy Storage System (ESS)

Providing power to the hybrid’s electrically variable transmission’s (EVT) two electric motors is a 300-volt nickel-metal hydride Energy Storage System (ESS). This battery pack is located under the second-row seat, where it takes up virtually no additional space and does not interfere with second- or third-row ingress/egress.

The primary function of the ESS is to provide power (300 volts) to the EVT and to store captured energy produced during regenerative braking. In addition to supplying power to the EVT, the ESS also provides power to the air conditioning compressor and the Accessory Power Module (APM), which converts the high-voltage supply to 42 volts for the electric power steering system, and 12 volts for the vehicle battery and other 12-volt electrical accessories.

Battery pack durability and reliability are maintained via optimized charge and discharge cycles, as well as a dedicated cooling system that draws air from the passenger compartment. As part of the vehicle’s emission control system, the ESS is warranted for eight years/100,000 miles.

In city driving, this advanced hybrid power system enables Escalade to launch and drive low speeds on electricity alone. So cruising along the avenue, the Escalade may use no fuel at all.   As additional power is demanded, the system blends output from the battery and gas engine smoothly.
The key to Escalade’s two-mode hybrid system is that the electric power used to propel the vehicle is generated by the hybrid system itself. When the brakes are applied or the vehicle is coasting, the electric motors within the hybrid system create electricity that is stored in the 300-volt battery. This stored energy is used to move the vehicle and the regenerative braking cycle is renewed.

A key contributor to the Escalade Hybrid’s fuel economy is the gasoline engine’s Auto Stop mode. Once the vehicle reaches 0 mph, the gasoline engine is automatically shut down. By leaving the engine off and allowing the vehicle to move only under electric power, such as during heavy stop-and-go traffic, fuel consumption and emissions are greatly reduced.

If you need the seating, room, and towing capacity of a fullsize SUV, the Cadillac Escalade is an excellent choice.  With the addition of the Escalade Hybrid to the Cadillac line, you can have your luxury and quietly glide past the gasoline station too.

2010 Cadillac CTS Coupe – Evolution of a Modern Eldorado

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The Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept is unveiled at the 2008 North American International Auto Show Monday, January 14, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan. (

The Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept is unveiled at the 2008 North American International Auto Show Monday, January 14, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan. (

Since 2003, the Cadillac CTS coupe has been consistently successful, becoming a game changer for Cadillac and a franchise player. For 2010 Cadillac plans to bring out a coupe version of the CTS. The current CTS is a sedan, or 4-door sports/luxury car. The new CTS Coupe will be a 2-door version. Cadillac also makes the luxury roadster XLR, but it is also a 2-seat vehicle. The CTS Coupe will be a 2-door 4-seat model, perfect for those of us who need the convenience of having 4 seats available for occasional need. The last full size coupe Cadillac offered was the 2003 Cadillac Eldorado.

Cadillac CTS Coupe Interior

Cadillac CTS Coupe Interior

Here was the first sketches of what was planned for the 2010 CTS Coupe:

 

Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept Sketch

Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept Sketch

2008 Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept sketch

2008 Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept sketch

The low roofline got moved up a bit, and some of the angles got smoothed out.  But the purpose of design sketches is to be TOO much, so that they leave the impression of the innovations in the sketch.

 

Where did we come from?

In 1953 the Series 62 was the mainstay of the Cadillac line.  Cadillac introduced a new, limited edition luxury convertible at the top of the line — the Eldorado Special.  532 examples were sold in 1953 at a cost of $7,750 at a time when the starting price for a 2-door Series 62 Coupe was $3,571.  The Eldorado was the Cadillac of the Cadillac line.

1953 Cadillac Eldorado

1953 Cadillac Eldorado

By 1973 the now Fleetwood ElDorado was still a convertible, and still top of the line. The price was almost the same as 20 years earlier, at $7,681 but the Eldorado was very much a production Cadillac and not the largely hand built custom limited Eldorado of 1953.

1973 Cadillac Eldorado

1973 Cadillac Eldorado

In 2003 Cadillac made the last Cadillac Eldorado, and retired all the meaningful names for more euro-centric letter designations. The Seville became the STS, the Deville the DTS, and the new C-class Touring Sedan became the CTS.

2002 Cadillac Eldorado

2002 Cadillac Eldorado

Which brings us back to the new 2010 Cadillac CTS Coupe. Many former Eldorado owners who enjoy 2-door full size Cadillacs are looking forward eagerly to this new car. It has also been well received in the press.

Cadillac Exterior Design Director John Manoogian (left) and Cadillac Interior Design Director Eric Clough display the Eyes On Design Best Concept Car award for the Cadillac CTS Coupe concept at the 2008 North American International Auto Show Tuesday, January 15, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by John F. Martin for General Motors)

Cadillac Exterior Design Director John Manoogian (left) and Cadillac Interior Design Director Eric Clough display the Eyes On Design Best Concept Car award for the Cadillac CTS Coupe concept at the 2008 North American International Auto Show Tuesday, January 15, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by John F. Martin for General Motors)

Cadillac has also rumored that it would be a natural and easy edition to release a V-Series variant of the new CTS Coupe. The means that it may be available with a 556 hp Supercharged 6.2L LSA engine, enhanced performance suspension, and performance brake package as well.

2008 Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept

2008 Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept

2010 Cadillac CTS Coupe drive-by

2010 Cadillac CTS Coupe drive-by

For up to date spy photos on the new CTS couple please check Left Lane News.

Cadillac Commercial Confusion — Escalade Hybrid gets 20mpg city, 21 mpg highway!

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The good news is there are a LOT of tweets lately on the social media site Twitter.com about the new Cadillac Escalade Hybrid. The bad news is that a lot of the audience is getting the message wrong. The base Cadillac Escalade is a full size SUV and gets 12 mpg city and 19 mpg highway as found on the Cadillac website

The Escalade Hybrid does much better, at 20 mpg city and 21 mpg highway.

So what are people saying after watching the commercial?

Cadillac Escalade hybrid – 12MPG Highway, 19MPG city. Scares me to think of the mileage it got PRE-hybrid

so an escalade hybrid would get 12 miles per gallon?

Reading the fine print of car commercials is painful to me. Example, the Escalade hybrid: 12 city/19 highway. Terrible, even for a hybrid

Cadillac’s ad agency needs to fix this quickly.  You only get one chance to make a first impression.  Apparently the commercial says the Escalade Hybrid gets 50% better city mpg than the non-Hybrid Escalade.  The small print (thank you Lawyers!?) shows that this is relative to the non-Hybrid Escalade’s 13 mpg.  People are reading the small print to mean that the Hybrid gets 13 mpg which is wrong.  The Escalade Hybrid gets 20 mpg City.  Woops.