General Motors is heading in a new direction with the scheduled production version of the Chevrolet Volt extended range electric vehicle that is set to come out sometime in the near future, however it was the luxury version of this economical EV, the Cadillac Converj, that most recently stole the spotlight at the 2009 Miami Auto Show, taking home the Concept Vehicle of the Show award. The Converj is set to be built upon the same platform as the Chevrolet Volt, and it was back in January at the 2009 North American International Auto Show where the Converj made its debut, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said if the luxury EV was approved, that the production model would resemble the concept, much like the Camaro did.

The Converj concept is a strict four seater, and although it has a swept back coupe like profile which is used to give this car a sportier image, the seating arrangement is also necessary because a large part of the car's center section is taken up by the "T" shaped battery used to power the car. The battery pack contains more than 220 lithium ion cells that can power the car for up to 40 miles. After the battery runs out, the electric will be replenished by a gas powered engine that exclusively charges the battery. Just like the Volt, the car is designed to be fully charged after plugged in for eight hours on a normal household 120 volt outlet, or in as little as three hours if you have a high capacity 240 volt socket.

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Hopefully all the talk about a production ready concept car that will be based on the architecture of a complex electric vehicle that has undergone a multitude of delays and restyling sessions that have transformed it from the muscular Camaro like vehicle that it once was to a streamlined concept complete with a place for a pair of Segways and gull wing doors and finally an electrified five door with the profile of a Honda Civic. Perhaps the demand for a luxury EV will light a fire underneath the Volt's product planning team in order to fast track the Converj, just like Mr. Lutz would want. However we just hope that the gorgeous Cadillac concept's lines don't go the way of it's little brother.