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GM executive chief EV engineer says reducing cost of plug-in vehicles is 'huge priority'

As we know, another major automaker investing heavily in electrified vehicles is General Motors, and it's doing things much differently than rivals BMW, Ford or Nissan. The Chevrolet Volt extended-range EV is a modest seller at its $35,000 sticker price but a huge hit with owners. The Chevy Spark BEV, still in limited availability, puts smiley faces on its owners and drivers. The just-introduced Cadillac ELR, a sharp-looking, fun-driving $76,000 luxocoupe take on the Volt's EREV mechanicals, has admittedly low sales expectations. With this interesting trio in showrooms and much more in the works, the third vehicle electrification leader I collared for an interview at Detroit's North American International Auto Show (see #1 and #2) was Pam Fletcher, GM's executive chief engineer, Electrified Vehicles. ABG: Why do your EREVs need four-cylinder power to extend their range when BMW's i3 makes do with an optional 650 cc two-banger? "We designed [the Volt and the ELR] to go anywhere, any time" - Pam Fletcher PF: I get that question all the time: why not something smaller? You don't really need that much. You use the electric to its ability, then you just need to limp. But we designed those cars to go anywhere, any time, and we don't want their performance to be compromised. If you're driving through the mountains, we don't want you to be crawling up grades, or to be limited on any terrain. So it's optimized to be able to travel literally the biggest grades and mountain roads around the globe at posted speeds. Because what if you can't? Another good reason: when the engine is on, you have to run it wide open throttle, max speed, most of the time. And while we can do a lot with acoustics, and the ELR has active noise cancelation, a small-displacement, low cylinder-count engine at high speed, high load all the time isn't something you want to live with. That's how we came up with the balance we did among the key factors of performance, NVH [noise, vibration and harshness] and range. ABG: Where you go from here? Is the range-extender engine due for an update? PF: We know and love the current Volt, and there is still a lot of acclaim about it, so we think it's a good recipe. But we are heavily in the midst of engineering the next-generation car, which I think everyone will love and be excited about.

2016 Cadillac CTS-V to hit dealers this summer, start at $83,995*

Cadillac has announced pricing for the 640-horsepower CTS-V, and not only will the new super-sedan outgun its heartiest German rivals, it'll undercut them on price, too. Kicking off at $83,995 (not including a $995 destination charge), the CTS-V is nearly $10,000 less than the 560-hp BMW M5, almost $18,000 less than the 577-hp Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S 4Matic, and is nearly $25,000 less than the 560-hp Audi RS7. So in case you were wondering, yes, the CTS-V will continue to be one of the auto industry's very best high-performance bargains in its third generation. "V-Series represents the pinnacle of Cadillac, a brand that now makes drivers' cars at the highest level," Cadillac's head honcho Johan de Nysschen said in a statement. "The new CTS-V is essentially two cars in one: a luxury sedan with sophisticated road manners and a track-capable sports car with awe-inspiring performance. This type of car is exclusive, the domain of the few who can access this level of incredible capability. V-Series matches or overtakes the finest cars in this elite class, while being more accessible." As for when you can get your hands on bargain-priced beast, dealers are now accepting orders, with deliveries slated to begin late this summer. Scroll on down for the official release from Cadillac. Next-Generation 640-hp Cadillac CTS-V Launches This Summer U.S. DEALERS BEGIN ACCEPTING ORDERS NOW FOR CADILLAC'S UPCOMING PERFORMANCE ICON DETROIT – Cadillac announced today that U.S. dealers will begin accepting orders for the next-generation 2016 CTS-V, the all-new high-performance sedan that launches in late summer. The 640-hp CTS-V is the second of two all-new V-Series models to come to market in 2015, following the smaller ATS-V coupe and sedan, which launches in late spring. Cadillac's new 2016 V-Series models represent a significant expansion of the brand's elite, high-performance line. Not only are the new V-Series cars elevated in terms of performance, they now reach a broader spectrum of drivers by presenting two distinct personalities, size categories and price points. With a top speed of 200 mph and 0-60 performance in 3.7 seconds, the CTS-V is the most powerful car in Cadillac's 112-year history. The 2016 CTS-V is priced from $83,995. Customers can place orders now with dealers and view additional product information at Cadillac.com. The CTS-V elevates into the elite group of the world's highest-performing sedans.

GM laying off 510 amidst slow Cadillac, small car sales

General Motors is laying off about 510 workers from two factories beginning in January, and it could be months before the automaker needs some of that latent capacity to come back on line. A combination of poor sales and high dealer inventories are prompting the cutbacks, according to Automotive News.
The largest changes come at GM's Lansing Grand River plant, where the Cadillac ATS and CTS are made. An entire shift of about 350 workers is being laid off, but the automaker hopes to find positions for some of them at other nearby factories. The decision leaves just a single shift building vehicles there. According to Automotive News, the move is partially spurred by Johan de Nysschen's plan to make Cadillac a more exclusive brand.
The lost shift will likely return for production of the next-generation Chevrolet Camaro at the plant, according to the report, but GM isn't saying when that will be. A previous announcement from the Canadian Auto Workers union indicated that the Oshawa, Ontario, factory would lose the coupe in late 2015 or early 2016.