Cadillac is committed to exclusively selling 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 falling under Cadillac’s EV naming strategy, where model names end in an “iq,” the Escalade nameplate will live on in the electric era.
Cadillac on Monday confirmed an electric Escalade is set for debut later this year, with the new name Escalade IQ.
Cadillac is known to have 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 like 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 flagship hatchback goes 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.