Sunday, May 11, 2014

CADILLAC ELR SQUARES OFF AGAINST TESLA MODEL S IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

There's a new sheriff in town at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Tesla Motors' Model S sedan has been dominating the electric car discussion there, ever since the Tesla Store opened on the lower level last year. More recently, Tesla constructed and opened a Supercharger station at the mall, to give Model S owners free charges while they shop.

There aren't yet free charging stations for Cadillac owners, but the company's impressive ELR coupe is now on display inside the mall. Courtesy of Jim Coleman Cadillac - a dealership located just steps away from the mall - the ELR has been parked very close to the Tesla Store. Coincidence, or a bold statement?

In my opinion, the Cadillac ELR may have the best exterior design of any electric car, short of the ridiculously-amazing styling of the BMW i8. Tesla's Model S isn't exactly frumpy, though, and still beats both competitors in the "green" department - it's all-electric, while the Cadillac and BMW are hybrids with back-up gasoline engines. Tesla and Cadillac build theirs in America - the Model S in Fremont, California, and the ELR at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck plant.

Before listening to those telling you the private automobile is on the verge of extinction - they are out of touch with technology and reality. Don't demolish and cancel those highways just yet; the vehicles of the future are on the way.
Prepare for sticker shock

Just down the hall from
competitor Tesla Motors

A futuristic car with some
classic Cadillac styling cues

3 comments:

thranx said...

35 miles on electric? Backup engine gets 33mpg and is noisy?

It's a pimped-out Volt and everyone knows it. You can't fool people in the era of the internet. Remember the Cadillac Cimmaron? Plenty of us do, and we won't get fooled again.

Tesla has no competition yet.

Woodmont said...

Cadillac is world class and can go toe to toe with BMW, Mercedes and Audi. They are far from the days of the Cimmaron.

I'm a Tesla fan but Cadillac has great cars as well.

Robert Dyer said...

As I mentioned in the article, Tesla has a clear technological advantage over the ELR in being all-electric, and in range. The supercharger stations are another huge advantage.

I just think the ELR arguably has a more exciting exterior design. I'm a fan of the Volt's styling, as well; it's the best Chevy sedan exterior at the moment, in my opinion. I'm also fond of the Cimmaron, but realize I am one of the few who is!