Cadillac ELR Sales Double After Price Drop
How do you help move the Cadillac ELR? Simple: drop the price down to one that the market will bear.
GM’s generous incentives – which have lead to ELR’s being listed as low as $52,000 – appear to have helped spur sales of Cadillac’s plug-in hybrid.
In June, GM sold just 97 units of the ELR. In July, sales nearly doubled, with 188 units sold. With 1,600 units in inventory right now, Automotive News estimates that as of July 1, there is a 396 day supply, down from 883 days.
With a Tesla-rivaling $76,000 MSRP, the ELR’s prospects seemed bleak from the outset. The ELR may be positioned as Cadillac’s green flagship, but the brand simply isn’t strong enough to sell a car that competes with the Tesla Model S, while offering less prestige and a similar sticker price. At the $50,000 mark? Now they might be getting somewhere.
More by Derek Kreindler
Comments
Join the conversation
I saw the first one of these in the wild on Sunday. In contrast I see a model S about once a day.
I liked the Volt I drove for a couple days earlier this year (except for its incipit side window moulding) and I really like this car. Blue oval stock owner here FWIW (bought at 3.63).
I would say the ELR is the least of their problems. I live in a GM town that traditionally has no problem moving Cadillacs and I have noticed something interesting. The ELRs predictably are sitting like stones on the lots, not moving, but the Escalades are too. There is an SWB Escalade that has been on the lot for over a month now and they got a LWB one over a week ago and that is sitting there too and I have only seen one new Escalade rolling around town. The new Tahoes, Suburbans etc seem to be moving, but I think the Escalade hit a price point that people just say no and I can understand why. I went and looked at the LWB today and wow, that is one cheap looking vehicle for $90K. Cheap plastic everywhere and the wood inside looks like fake plastic wood, the leather quality not great, overall a pretty unimpressive vehicle for that kind of money. Not to mention the previous generation looks a lot better. The ELR for $400-$500 a month, no money out your pocket for 24 months would not be bad.
I was in Cadillac dealership once and after how I was treated I would say I am afraid to go there again (it is in Dublin). I my impression was that they are thugs (like drug dealers, naturally from Afghanistan - nice luxury car maker hires recent immigrants from Afghanistan to sell cars - unbelievable). The sales person kind of threatened me when I showed no intention to buy CTS. I do not say all Cadillac dealers are like that because I was only once was in Cadillac dealership ever but it was enough. I experienced real luxury car dealership experience in Saturn (been there couple of times). Of course GM shut down Saturn because they were so good, polite and friendly.