2014 Cadillac ELR Luxury Electric Coupe

The wait is almost over for the 2014 Cadillac ELR luxury electric coupe.

Yesterday, General Motors' Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant began shipping the first of these extended-range electric cars to dealers, ahead of the car's official January on-sale date.

That means a few cars may arrive at dealers before the year closes out, perhaps allowing Cadillac to get a head start on deliveries and log a few sales for 2013.

Whenever buyers take delivery, they will be confronted with a base price of $75,995, including destination. That's more than twice the price of the only other car sharing the ELR's powertrain--the 2014 Chevrolet Volt. The Volt now starts at $34,995, thanks to a $5,000 price cut for 2014.

The ELR will be eligible for a $7,500 Federal tax credit, and a variety of state and local incentives, which might soften the blow a little.

Underneath the ELR's upscale luxury coupe bodywork is a modified version of the Volt's extended-range electric powertrain.

That powertrain consists of a 1.4-liter range-extending gasoline engine, an electric motor, and a T-shaped 16.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack.

Total powertrain output is 207 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, making the ELR more powerful than the 149-hp Volt.

That extra power will contribute to a 0-to-60-mph time of 7.8 seconds, according to Cadillac. However, the car is faster on gasoline than electricity: the sprint to 60 mph takes 8.8 seconds in EV mode.

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