With the unveiling of its Converj Concept at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, Cadillac definetly pleased the crowd. The Cadillac Converj four-passenger hybrid-electric vehicle equipped with 16-kWh, T-shaped battery pack consisting of more than 220 lithium-ion cells, an electric drive unit, and a four-cylinder engine-generator.

The Converj concept coupe is based on the same architecture as the Chevrolet Volt and uses electricity as its main mode of propulsion. Its overall setup allows it to be driven electrically up to 40 miles without using fuel or emitting CO2 emissions.

When the lithium-ion batteries dry up, they can be recharged at you nearest power outlet. Cadillac claims that it will take less than three hours to recharge the Converj’s battery at 240V and about eight hours from a 120V outlet. And just like the Volt, when the battery’s energy is low, an on-board flex-fuel-powered engine acts like a generator to recharge the batteries. That, apparently, is the only time the Converj will use any fuel.

And just how powerful is the Converj’s electric engine? It is powerful enough to deliver 273 lb-ft of torque and 120 kW of power. That’s enough to launch the Converj to a top speed of 100mph.

According to Bob Lutz, GM’s vice chairman of Global Product Development, the Cadillac Converj is more than a concept….”It’s a logical extension of our plan to reinvent the automobile,” he said. “It clearly shows what a Cadillac electric vehicle could look like, and clearly indicates that global luxury customers can have a car that has both strong design and electric propulsion with a total range of hundreds of anxiety-free miles.”