Cadillac is committed to selling only electric vehicles by the end of the decade, and as a result will only launch vehicles powered by batteries from here on out.
While that means most of the current gas-powered models will be phased out and replaced by new nameplates, the Escalade name will live on in the electric era. Cadillac EVs will have model names end in “iq,” and the Escalade will use its own unique version of the naming strategy.
Cadillac on Monday confirmed an electric Escalade is set to debut later this year with the new name Escalade IQ.
Cadillac has also trademarked the name Escalade IQL, which perhaps will be used for a long-wheelbase body in similar fashion to the current stretched model, the Escalade ESV.
2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV
No further details have been provided, but the Escalade IQ is almost certain to use General Motors’ Ultium EV platform and battery technology, which is proven to deliver industry-leading range in big, blocky vehicles such as full-size pickups and SUVs.
With 200 kwh of battery capacity, the Ultium-based 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV has achieved a 450-mile EPA-rated range estimate. The 2024 GMC Hummer SUV, which is also Ultium-based, has a smaller 170-kwh battery and is rated at 314 miles of range.
Cadillac’s sole EV on sale at present is the Lyriq mid-size SUV. The 2024 Celestiq hatchback, which will be a handbuilt flagship car, will go into production at the end of the year, and Cadillac is known to be working on at least three additional EVs. These include the Escalade IQ, a compact crossover, and a mid-size SUV with third-row seats. All three are likely to be on sale by the middle of the decade.
Not every Cadillac dealer is on board with the brand’s electric transformation. Around a third of Cadillac’s U.S. dealerships, or slightly more than 300, in 2021 took a cash offer to close up shop rather than spend on upgrading for the EV future.
