The Cadillac Converj made quite an impression on a lot of people after it was unveiled at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show late last year. At that time, the Converj, which was being pegged as an upscale Chevy Volt derivative, was being touted as having a production date after 2012.
But now, it appears that the Detroit Auto Show could be the last time we’ll ever see the Converj after reports have indicated that General Motors is scrapping the car permanently.
GM has yet to confirm nor deny these reports but according to Auto Observer, the main issue surrounding the scrapping of the Converj was that the overall weight of the car – with all the added amenities – would be too heavy to even achieve a 20-mile electric driving range, at which point it became implausible to build a high-end version of the Volt without sacrificing all the luxuries that would have made it, well, high-end. Even if it the Converj did manage to scratch the 20-mile electric driving range – about half of the Volt’s marketed 40-mile range – General Motors would be forced to tack on an extra $30,000 of added cost for each car.
The loss of the Converj is a shame to a lot of us, especially after its highly-successful debut at the Detroit Auto Show. It just goes to show that in the auto industry, nothing’s for certain until we see it out on the streets.
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