Why the Cadillac Escalade IQ EV Announcement is a Game Changer

Cadillac says it will release a full size Escalade EV called the IQ. The automaker says the Cadillac brand will go totally electric by 2030.

The announcement from Cadillac was short and sweet.

“The Cadillac ESCALADE IQ will be revealed later this year and promises the same commitment to craftsmanship, technology and performance that has helped the Escalade nameplate dominate the large luxury SUV segment for the last 20 years.” Cadillac isn’t saying when the Escalade IQ will be built or where. What makes this revelation huge is that Cadillac is pushing EVs into the large luxury SUV segment. Right now, the 2023 Cadillac Escalade is on fire. Cadillac can’t build enough of them. Even the Cadillac Escalade-V with its huge horsepower and $150,000 price tag is in high demand.

Cadillac Pushing EVs into the Vehicles that are Profit Centers

Trucks and SUVs, especially large ones, are where automakers make their profits. Sales of the 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe, 2023 GMC Yukon and 2023 Suburbans are what is financing GM’s investments into future EVs. The same is true of the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado and 2023 GMC Sierras. Chevrolet has proven that it can build a large truck like the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV with a great range of 450 miles. Even though the Silverado EV isn’t out yet, the new, improved range has already been certified by the EPA.

GM’s large trucks and large SUVs share virtually the same front half of the vehicle. They are built using mostly the same architecture. Trucks just have a big bed where SUVs have cargo space or added rows of seating. The underpinnings of the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade are the same. The luxury is built into the suspensions, technology and the interiors.

2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV Makes the Cadillac Escalade IQ Possible

Now that Chevrolet has proven that it can build a true EV truck, a large EV SUV is the logical next step. Cadillac has always been the automaker’s leader with technology like SuperCruise, so starting with the Escalade IQ is a natural progression. Cadillac has already pledged to go all-electric by 2030. Once the Cadillac Escalade IQ works out the kinks, an all-electric version of the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon are sure to follow.

Why the IQ Name?

Cadillac says the Escalade IQ will join the 2023 LYRIQ and the upcoming CELESTIQ as Cadillac continues to build an all-electric portfolio. The IQ naming strategy supposedly celebrates “Cadillac introducing a different type of EV to the market — one that works in tandem with people’s daily lives and environments. The IQ designation is Cadillac’s EV nomenclature and first debuted on the LYRIQ.” It appears all of the future Cadillac EVs will carry some form of the IQ in the name.

I’ll look forward to seeing how the Cadillac Escalade IQ changes the game. Finally, families that really want an EV will have a choice of a full-size SUV with great range. The first ones will be very expensive but as they spread across the GM brands, the industry will be turning a huge corner.

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.

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