Cadillac Deal: Buy An EV, Get A Free Charging Station

DETROIT (WWJ) — As Cadillac prepares to launch its first electric vehicle — the ELR — it's making would be buyers an interesting offer.

"Cadillac is offering a complementary 240-volt home charging station and installation to early buyers of the all-new 2014 ELR electrified luxury coupe," read a release sent out by General Motors.

This is a savings of several hundred dollars for a vehicle that's likely to be fairly expensive. GM is also offering a 39-month lease deal of $699 a month, following $5,999 at signing.

The ELR will compete in the high-end electric vehicle market, now dominated by the Tesla Model S. But, unlike the Tesla, the ELR is not a "pure EV." It has an onboard gasoline engine, which--like the Chevrolet Volt--will generate electricity to keep the vehicle going indefinitely, after the batteries run down.

The ELR's pure electric range, like the Volt, is around 40 miles. The ELR will not be sold at all Cadillac dealers, only those that are specially certified to sell and service an electrified vehicle.

This comes as Tesla announces that it's finalized a series of "supercharging" stations that will allow its Model S to be driven across country.

BMW is also entering the luxury EV market.

Cadillac's offer comes as anylsts are unsure how big the market is for electric vehicles. Sales of the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf have not met early expectations.

"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, chief marketing officer, Global Cadillac. "Professional installation of the fastest home-charging unit is a natural way to mark the introduction of ELR to the luxury market."

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