General Motors totally rebranding as a luxury EV maker continues with the revolutionary all electric Cadillac Escalade IQ. The First full size all electric SUV is coming with specs and features that makes it the gold standard of SUVs and EVs with Presumed prices starting at around $130,000. The 750-hp Escalade IQ will arrive during the summer of 2024, and it follows the arrival of GM’s most luxurious EVs to date.
Specifications and Features
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| Vehicle Type | BEV |
| Vehicle Class | SUV |
| Performance | |
| Engine Name | Motors, Dual Electric |
| Horsepower | 750 |
| Torque | 785 lb-ft |
| Range | 450 miles |
| Exterior Dimensions | |
| Length | 224.3 in |
| Width | 94.1 in |
| Height | 76.1 in |
| Wheelbase | 126.6 in |
| Weights and Capacities | |
| Curb Weight | 2683.91 kg |
| Cargo Capacity | 11.4 cu-ft |
Being electric, the Escalade IQ is built on the same Ultium platform as the Hummer EV and Chevrolet Silverado EV. The Caddy’s 136.2-inch wheelbase—2.1 inches longer than that of the Escalade ESV—makes room for a massive 200-kWh battery, which the company says will provide up to 450 miles of range. We figured such a long wheelbase would make the Escalade IQ nearly impossible to maneuver, but Cadillac has fitted it with the same four-wheel steering as the Hummer EV pickup. This tightens the turning circle by some 6.5 feet, and in fact the electric ‘Slade will turn more sharply than a short-wheelbase fossil-fuel Escalade. And yes, it also has the Hummer’s Crab Walk feature, though in Caddy parlance it’s called Cadillac Arrival Mode, presumably for its ability to glide, gracefully and diagonally, right up to the curb.
Cadillac Escalade iq Powertrain and Performance
The Escalade IQ is all-wheel drive and will generate as much as 750 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque. That’s only in Velocity Max drive mode, which unlocks peak output for as long as you keep it enabled, rather than a brief boost mode common in other EVs. Cadillac hasn’t spilled the details on specifics but says that, in normal driving conditions, the Escalade IQ should make over 650 horsepower. With a claimed launch to 60 mph in under five seconds, the all-electric Escalade IQ’s closest competitor is the gas-powered 682-hp Escalade V, that can do it in 4.3 seconds. The Escalade IQ will certainly outweigh its 6290-pound V-8-powered alternative, and will likely crush the scales closer to the 9640-pound GMC Hummer H1T it shares its platform with.
Range, Charging, and Battery Life
The EPA hasn’t certified a driving range estimate for the Cadillac Escalade IQ yet, but GM says their goal is for the all-electric Escalade to travel 450 miles on a single charge. To do it, the Escalade IQ’s 200.0 kWh Ultium battery pack will need to work smarter rather than harder. Once it’s time to recharge its giant battery bank, the Escalade IQ’s 800-volt architecture will keep downtime to a minimum; the system is said to support DC-fast charging rates that can supposedly deliver a gain of 100 miles of range in 10 minutes. When charging at a Level 2 charger, the IQ is good for 19.2 kW AC, or roughly 36 miles of range per hour. We’ll update this space with EPA estimates and results from our own 75-mph highway driving range test when that information becomes available.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
The Escalade IQ interior dedicates much of its surface area to screen space. The dashboard is equipped with a curved 55 inch touchescreen display which consists of a 35.0-inch driver display connecting to a 25.0-inch passenger screen. Another 11.0-inch touchscreen adjusts climate and ambient lighting, but beyond the plethora of pixels are the leather wrappings of luxury, with polished aluminum accents and ambient lighting integrated into the door panels just above the armrests.
All Escalade IQs used captain’s chairs in the second row and have a 60/40 split power bench in the third row. To appease the chauffeured, Cadillac offers an optional Executive Second Row that adds a rear center console complete with an additional touchscreen display and two 12.6-inch rear headrest monitors. Its lack of neither an engine nor a transmission tunnel (versus the gas-powered Escalade) allows for a 12 cubic-foot eTrunk under the hood.
Escalade IQ Infotainment and Connectivity
The 55 inches of digital real estate across the Escalade IQ’s dashboard is powered by a Google-based operating system, but lacks Apple CarPlay. That missing feature is intentional, as GM announced earlier in 2023 that it will eliminate Apple CarPlay from its EVs (but keep them in gas-powered vehicles) for the sake of better integration. These touchscreens highlight the evolution of the Escalade from a traditional to a more digital-first SUV. There are two knob-like dials on the center console and haptic buttons integrated into the steering wheel, but most of the Cadillac’s tech features are operated with the press of a finger or thumb.