Cadillac ELR comes with free home-charging station

The Chevrolet Volt-based Cadillac ELR has never been associated with a low price of entry, but Cadillac is now offering an extra incentive to those looking to buy one. The company will provide a 240-Volt Level 2 home-charging station including installation with a new ELR. Cadillac hopes this incentive just might sway some buyers who have been thinking about buying the luxury gas-electric hybrid, or those who have been cross-shopping the ELR with the Tesla Model S.

The charging station that will be offered to early buyers (early buyers being the operative words here - Cadillac doesn't mention how long this deal will last) will be able to charge the Cadillac ELR or its Volt sibling in approximately 4.5 hours, which is far quicker than the standard 12-hour charging time with just a 120 V home charger. A Level 2 charger typically retails north of $750, not including installation, so the offer itself likely exceeds $1,000 in value if things like taxes, delivery and installation are taken into account.

"The ELR's blend of leading technology with provocative design and fun-to-drive performance is set to bring new buyers to Cadillac and to electrification itself," said Uwe Ellinghaus, Cadillac chief marketing officer. "Professional installation of the fastest home-charging unit is a natural way to mark the introduction of ELR to the luxury market."

The Cadillac ELR is based heavily on Volt running gear, using the same 1.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine coupled with a 16.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery and an electric motor. And it's not lost on buyers that the $75,995 price of entry (before tax credits) for the ELR still translates into two Chevrolet Volts with some cash left over for multiple charging stations (the Volt starts at $34,995 before things like tax credits are figured in). Cadillac's version makes 181 hp compared to the Volt's 149 hp, though. The all-electric range of both is about the same: 38 miles for the Volt and 37 for the ELR.

Cadillac is currently offering to lease the ELR for $699 per month for 39 months with $5,999 due at signing, though it remains to be seen whether this incentive will, ahem, electrify sales for the ELR.

By Jay Ramey