Cadillac's First 2025 Cadillac IQ EV SUV Raises $550,000 to Help Children

When the first retail production 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ was sold at the Barrett-Jackson Auction this weekend, some Detroit school children were the real winners. Cadillac’s first full-size EV SUV raised $550,000 dollars for the Detroit Children's Fund. According to its website, The Detroit Children’s Fund raises money to support better schools and education resources in the city. “We are an organization dedicated to equity and inclusion, fulfilling a social responsibility to educate all children. We are non-profit committed to helping Detroit children receive the quality education they deserve. We do this by making leaders stronger, teachers more effective and school systems more successful. By being laser-focused on school quality, we are investing in the hopes, dreams, and future of Detroit children.”

Why the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ is Important for Cadillac

I have been writing about the upcoming 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ since Cadillac confirmed that it will build it back in May of 2023. Cadillac is expected to have an instant hit with the  Cadillac Escalade IQ. Cadillac has received a lot of positive press about the Escalade IQ because it is finally building a vehicle that has a lot of demand. Much like the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV, buyers are looking for a vehicle that meets their needs and the Escalade IQ seems to check all of the boxes: size, range and luxury. Cadillac isn’t reinventing the wheel, it is electrifying its most popular vehicle.

The current Cadillac Escalade is the best-selling large luxury SUV. It carries the entire family with all of the necessary luggage and does it with style. The all-new 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ is also a large luxury SUV. It will have plenty of room for all of the necessary gear, especially with its roomy front eTrunk compartment under the hood with 12 cubic feet of storage. The Escalade IQ features a curved 55-inch total diagonal pillar-to-pillar display, along with an available 40-speaker AKG Studio Reference audio system. There is also an available executive second-row seating package.

The electric architecture allowed designers to give the IQ a sleeker profile, but Cadillac made sure the silhouette is instantly recognizable as an Escalade. The Ultium platform also enables a lower, flatter interior floor that contributes to the Escalade IQ’s spaciousness. The IQ’s dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup delivers more than 200 kWh. It will have a Cadillac-estimated range of 460 miles.

2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ VIN 001

This first-ever all-electric full-size SUV from Cadillac elevates the luxury SUV experience. The IQ features up to 750 horsepower and 785 ft./lbs. of torque when using Velocity Max. The Escalade IQ's powertrain enables a Cadillac-estimated 0-to-60 mph acceleration in under 5 seconds. It is also equipped with Cadillac Arrival Mode, a panoramic fixed-glass roof with power shade and power open-and-close doors.

Inside, the IQ has a curved pillar-to-pillar 55-inch total diagonal display. The IQ has an Executive Second Row Seating Package and Rear Command Center. The center console has stowable tray tables, dual wireless charging pads. The luxury appointments continue with 14-way power heated, ventilated and massaging second-row seats. The Escalade IQ uses 19.2 kW AC charging and 350 kW DC fast charging.

When Cadillac announced that it was donating the proceeds from the sale of the first 2025 Cadillac IQ to help school children, GM President Mark Reuss said,

“The 2025 Cadillac ESCALADE IQ redefines what a luxury SUV can be,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “It brings iconic design, the utmost craftsmanship and the latest technology. We’re excited to work with Barrett-Jackson on the auction of ESCALADE IQ VIN 001, with every dollar of the proceeds going to the Detroit Children’s Fund.” 

Cadillac Photo

Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.

Follow Mary Conway at @MaryConwayMedia and send her car news tips for future stories.