General Motors has decided to end the reign of the Cadillac ELR plug-in hybrid with the first generation.
Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen confirmed last week that the light-selling coupe won't have a successor, accoridng to Automotive News, which previously reported in July that the vehicle will only stick around until at least 2018.
"I plan to continue admiring it as one of the most beautiful cars on four wheels," de Nysschen told reporters during a media drive of the upcoming CT6 sedan. "But we don't plan further investment."
Nysschen previously said that Cadillac would only continue to sell the hybrid as long as there was a demand for it. The move also follows almost two months after Cadillac marketing chief Uwe Ellinghaus called the ELR "a big disappointment," saying that it was too expensive for the average driver.
The ELR debuted in late 2013 with a version of the Chevrolet Volt's powertrain, Autoblog noted. However, its launch suffered from the vehicle's $76,000 (with shipping) price tag, which made it difficult for most consumers to buy it.
The price tag resulted in a 22-percent decline in sales for the plug-in last year, with only 1,024 vehicles being sold, Fortune reported. Cadillac brought the ELR's price down by $10,000 for the 2016 model, but it didn't help win over buyers.
While the debut of the Volt, which is cheaper and has an expanded driving range, raised people's hopes of the ELR receiving the same treatment for its second generation, de Nysschen's confirmation last week shut those hopes down.
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