Plugged in for status

You won't see many of Cadillac's new flagship CT6s plugged into high-voltage chargers in Canada. General Motors doesn't expect to sell many here.

It's simple math, based on the maker's estimates: At best, 600 sales a year in North America of the CT6 Plug-In, of which 60 per cent will be in ecohip California. Most of the rest will be in Washington State, Oregon and what the marketers call the "smile states" of Arizona, Texas, Florida and Georgia. Traditionally, Canada takes about 10 per cent of North American sales, but not with electric cars, where the U.S. West Coast skews everything.

So maybe a couple of dozen of the $85,995 sedans then? Maybe.

Actually, the major market will be China, where the CT6 Plug-In is built at GM's Shanghai assembly plant. In China, there are now huge incentives to drive non-polluting cars. Some cities are moving to permit only electric vehicles in their urban cores, while many regions have much shorter waiting lists for registering an EV compared with a conventional car. GM hopes to sell 2,000 CT6 Plug-Ins a year in China.

Nowhere else though – just China and North America. Why bother, for such low potential numbers?

"It really comes down to Cadillac being a global brand and the demands of other markets," says Eric Angeloro, who is the CT6 Plug-In's Launch and Lifecycle Manager. "For us to be a true global player, we need to start offering vehicles like this. It's something we have to do and want to do, to grow as a global luxury brand."

Like the regular CT6, which starts at $61,895 and rises to almost $100,000, the big sedan is spacious and comfortable in the cabin. It is available only in one trim level though, thanks to its low production numbers.

It's a luxurious trim level, of course, and roughly equivalent to the $77,000 3.0-litre twin-turbo premium luxury package. You can't add the reclining seats in the back or even the superduper 34-speaker Bose sound system or individual climate control for the rear seats – there just isn't the space with the battery and the extra electrical hardware. Trunk space is pretty much halved, and you can't have all-wheel drive.

What you do get is almost 50 kilometres of electric-only driving before using any gas, and the ability to choose between normal electric assist, sporty electric boost and just boring old gas. This is the same principle as the Mercedes-Benz S550e, BMW 740e and Porsche Panamera plug-in, except the Benz and Bimmer only have half the electric range.

There are paddles on the steering wheel to select four different levels of regeneration of power, which means more or less drag when you take your foot off the gas. This is actually quite fun and can be used almost as brakes, where the extra braking energy creates more battery power. You cannot, however, set the car to recharge its battery by driving as you can with those other premium sedans.

The drive itself is very satisfying. The CT6 is a full-size car, but the power from the battery helps the 2.0-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder mimic the performance of the regular 3.0-litre turbocharged vehicle, creating an estimated 335 horsepower.

The question remains though – why?

Even in Ontario, which has the most generous EV subsidies in North America, the CT6 Plug-In only qualifies for a $3,000 rebate. That makes it $6,000 more expensive than the approximate gas-only equivalent, with less trunk space and rear-wheel drive.

The only real explanation is because you have an environmental conscience and want to do your bit to help, since the price doesn't really affect buying decisions at this level. Also, you get to drive in the high-occupancy vehicle lanes when you're alone, since you'll have a green licence plate.

If that's the case, the CT6 is a lot less expensive than those other German plug-ins, while offering almost all of their features and the more generous electric-driving range of the Porsche. And for sure, you'll have the only one on the block.

Tech Specs

• Base price (as tested): $85,995
• Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder plus two electric motors
• Transmission/drive: Electric variable transmission/rear-wheel
• Fuel economy (gasoline litres equivalent [Le]/100 km): 3.6 estimated
• Alternatives: Mercedes-Benz S550e, BMW 740e, Porsche Panamera plug-in

Ratings

• Looks: You’ll be hard-pressed to tell the difference from the conventional CT6.
• Interior: Very nice car, but so is the regular gas-powered version, which offers more features for less money.
• Performance: The twin electric motors pull smoothly and effortlessly, and the handling is exemplary. Zero to 96 km/h is a claimed 5.2 seconds, and after whipping away from the lights many times in New York, there’s no reason to doubt that.
• Technology: Cutting-edge stuff, but it would be nice to recharge on the fly.
• Cargo: Enough room for two golf bags, which is a big bite from the conventional car’s space.

Verdict

7.0

Very nice car, but so is the regular gas-powered version, which offers more features for less money.

The writer was a guest of the auto maker. Content was not subject to approval.

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