It looks the gas-guzzling Escalade is headed for a more eco-friendly future. General Motors has announced that it’s working on an all-electric version of the large SUV set to be called the Escalade IQ.
Very little about the Escalade IQ is known at this point, apart from the fact that it exists and that it will be called the IQ. Presumably, the new SUV will be built on GM’s Ultium platform, which is the platform underpinning the Chevrolet Equinox and Silverado, along with the GMC Hummer EV.
The Escalade IQ will join GM’s other electric cars in the Cadillac lineup, including the Lyriq SUV and the luxurious Celestiq. And, it’s another step in GM’s plan to make all of Cadillac’s cars electric by 2030.
Depending on when the Escalade IQ comes out, it could be one of only a handful of electric SUVs. The upcoming Kia EV9 is set to be released later this year, and as such will beat the IQ to market — but there’s a need for more electric SUVs, especially in the U.S. where large cars are much better sellers. Apart from the EV9, the IQ will join the more expensive Rivian R1S. It’s likely that the Escalade IQ will be closer in price to the Rivian than the EV9, especially considering the fact that the Hummer EV starts at an eye-watering $111,000.
Of course, because so little is known about the IQ, it’s entirely possible that it’ll be relatively different than the combustion engine model, beyond just the drivetrain. Many carmakers are using electrification as an excuse to radically change the designs and features on offer by their cars. And, for the most part, that has been successful. The Ford Mustang Mach-E is a Mustang in name only, but it’s one of the better-selling electric. The Kia EV6 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 are radically different in design than other cars in their respective brands’ lineups, but they’re also among the better-reviewed EVs out there.
The release date of the Escalade IQ is also unknown, though as mentioned, GM wants all of Cadillac’s cars to be all-electric by 2030. Hopefully, we’ll have more details on the IQ within a year or so.
