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Cadillac CT6 PHEV battery shape a big departure for GM's plug-in hybrid tech

Anyone with any familiarity with the electric powertrain details for the two General Motors plug-in hybrids will have noticed that the information we have about the newly announced Cadillac CT6 plug-in hybrid has a lot of numbers in common with the Chevy Volt and the Cadillac ELR, like the 18.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and an expected all-electric range of 37 miles. We also noticed that the announcement calls the plug-in CT6 hybrid an actual plug-in hybrid and not an "extended range electric vehicle (EREV)," which is what GM calls the Volt and the ELR. This, of course, means we needed to ask GM some questions. Donny Nordlicht from Cadillac communications told AutoblogGreen that while the Volt and CT6 batteries are both 18.4-kWh, the shape is completely different. In the Volt/ELR, the battery is T-shaped (see it here). The CT6 has four seats, with a tunnel running between the two in the rear, as you can see here, but the battery in the CT6 PHEV is "a cube-shaped pack, which is between rear seats and the trunk," Nordlicht said. "There is no pass through." GM has not yet released any technical schematics about this pack, but Nordlicht said that, "The CT6's advanced mixed-material platform was designed to accommodate the PHEV system by design so that it minimally intrudes on the cabin space." It also means that the CT6 can be ordered as an optional PHEV, while the Volt and ELR were purpose-built plug-ins. GM is also distinguishing between the EREV and PHEV powertrains in its vehicles from this point forward. "We are not discarding the EREV language," Nordlicht said. "The CT6 utilizes a two-motor system mated to a 2.0T 4-cylinder engine, which is an all-new system to Cadillac." We assume that the PHEV packs will use li-ion cells from LG Chem, just like the EREVs do, but Nordlicht did not answer our question on that point. As for other details about the CT6 PHEV – like production, full dimension, and pricing – we will just have to wait until closer to when the vehicle launches for those. Related Video:

Cadillac president reveals XTS sedan refresh, flagship vehicle plans

Update: The second paragraphed has been changed from the original text to make it clear that de Nysschen, not Autoblog , claimed the report by The Detroit Bureau is inaccurate. Cadillac has been on a tear ever since the automaker poached Johan de Nysschen from Infiniti, becoming a more profitable automaker while delving deeper into the luxury market. While some reports indicate that Cadillac may be limiting its lineup, de Nysschen just put everything out in the open. In the comment section of an article by The Detroit Bureau that claimed Cadillac would cut its lineup down, de Nysschen stated the report was inaccurate and outlined the automaker's future. The Cadillac CEO wrote "Some of what you report is correct, some incorrect, most is conjecture." A Cadillac spokesperson confirmed that de Nysschen did write the comment, but did not comment on any of the details. The Detroit Bureau's Paul Eisenstein told Autoblog that he stands behind the information in the report. In any case the most interesting tidbit in de Nysschen's comment is the major refresh for the Cadillac XTS. The news directly contradicts previous reports that indicated the XTS would be killed off by 2019. In Cadillac's pursuit to add some space between it and GM, the XTS was expected to get the axe in favor of more profitable vehicles. The sedan, which was introduced in 2012, shares its underpinnings with the latest generation of the Chevrolet Impala. To the contrary, Nysschen stated that "We ARE planning a major refresh for XTS." What the major refresh will bring the aging sedan is still a mystery, but the vehicle isn't dying. The move to keep the XTS in its lineup is a bit of a surprise as Cadillac has filled its lineup with track-oriented sports cars, rear-wheel-drive sedans, and extravagant crossovers. The boat-like XTS with its front-wheel-drive layout and available all-wheel-drive system sticks out like a sore thumb, even if it were to receive a major overhaul. The only real explanation is that Cadillac hopes the vehicle will still appeal to its old-school customers that are unwilling to compromise interior space and ride quality. In our most recent review of the XTS, we thought the luxurious sedan was a great long-distance cruiser, but not a talented sports car – no surprises there. It's unlikely that Cadillac will focus on driving pleasure with the refreshed XTS, focusing instead on pure comfort and luxury.

7 major automakers to build open EV charging network

A new joint venture established by BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis will build a new North American electric vehicle charging network on a scale designed to compete with Tesla's industry-benchmark Supercharger network. The 30,000-plus planned new chargers will accommodate both Tesla's almost-standard North American Charging System (NACS) and existing automakers' Combined Charging System (CCS) options, effectively guaranteeing compatibility with the vast majority of current and upcoming electric models — whether they're from one of the involved automakers or not.  "With the generational investments in public charging being implemented on the Federal and State level, the joint venture will leverage public and private funds to accelerate the installation of high-powered charging for customers. The new charging stations will be accessible to all battery-powered electric vehicles from any automaker using Combined Charging System (CCS) or North American Charging Standard (NACS) and are expected to meet or exceed the spirit and requirements of the U.S. National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program." Critically, the automakers involved will have a say in how the charging tech is implemented, guaranteeing that the hardware will play nicely with each automaker's in-house charging systems. Hyundai and Kia, for example, were hesitant to jump on board the Tesla NACS bandwagon earlier this year over concerns that the Supercharger network is insufficient for powering the two automakers' 800-volt charging systems; similar tech is used by Volkswagen and Porsche.  In addition to providing much-needed capacity and high-output charging for America's growing fleet of electric cars and trucks, the new network will integrate seamlessly with each automaker's in-app and in-vehicle features, rather than forcing customers to use third-party tools and payment systems, as is the case with some existing public charging infrastructure.  "The functions and services of the network will allow for seamless integration with participating automakersÂ’ in-vehicle and in-app experiences, including reservations, intelligent route planning and navigation, payment applications, transparent energy management and more. In addition, the network will leverage Plug & Charge technology to further enhance the customer experience," the announcement said.