9,000 lbs The 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ first drive: 460 miles on a single charge The Escalade embodies the American luxury car ideal, and now it's gone electric. Michael Teo Van Runkle Mar 17, 2025 8:00 am | 17 The Cadillac Escalade has become the exemplar of the the American luxury vehicle. Now there's an electric version. Credit: Michael Teo Van Runkle The Cadillac Escalade has become the exemplar of the the American luxury vehicle. Now there's an electric version. Credit: Michael Teo Van Runkle Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreCadillac provided flights from Los Angeles to San Fransisco and accommodation so Ars could drive the Escalade IQ. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.SAN FRANCISCONewsflash: the new electric Cadillac Escalade IQ weighs over 9,000 lbs, or a fair amount more than 4,000 kilograms. For context, that figure works out to almost exactly half again as much as the 682 hp (509 kW) Escalade V that comes equipped with a barking-mad 6.2 L supercharged V8. Yet the latest and supposedly greatest from Cadillac needed to weigh so very much to achieve a class-leading range target of 460 miles (740 km), thanks to a 205 kWh battery pack.The Escalade IQ shares a modular General Motors (formerly Ultium) chassis and battery pack with the gargantuan Hummer EV, and even more hardware with the Silverado and Sierra pickup truck siblings. As opposed to trying to attract rugged work truck and off-roading cred, though, for Cadillac that kind of range figure seemed necessary to appeal to a "no compromise" lifestyle that Escalade buyers might well expect while considering a switch to fully electric power.And the new IQ certainly puts down plenty of instantaneously available grunt, and despite its mass can punch out a 060 time under five seconds with the Velocity Max button pushed, thanks to dual motors rated at 750 hp (560 kW) and 786 lb-ft (1,065 Nm). Credit: Michael Teo Van Runkle Three rows of seats will comfortably seat seven adults, and a forthcoming EQL variant stretches just over 4 inches longer with a higher roofline to create even more space in the third row. The rest of the interior, meanwhile, packs in all the tech possible: almost six feet of screens atop the dash, up to 42 speakers' worth of surround sound, optional Executive second-row seats with massaging function, hands-free Super Cruise partially automated driving, and the list goes on.We know by now that electrification fits well into the super-luxe ethos, because silent and smooth propulsion works better for shorter lifestyle drives. And yet, the sheer mass required to achieve those range and power figuresdespite improved aero versus the ICE Escaladeunfortunately means that the laws of physics make no compromises, either.Specifically, the Escalade IQ rides on the same battery cradle, same suspension components, same 24-inch wheel size, and same Michelin Primacy LTX tires as the Silverado EV RST First Editiona behemoth of a pickup truck that many journalists panned due to the baffling decision by General Motors to spec the largest wheels ever sold on a production vehicle. Even slightly smaller 22-inch wheels, as I can attest after driving a Silverado EV LT, help to reduce the crashy and clunky reverberations that ruined any semblance of passenger serenity. Until now, 24-inch wheels on an Escalade was an aftermarket thing. Credit: Michael Teo Van Runkle Going into the Escalade launch program recently held in the San Francisco Bay Area, I wondered whether Cadillacs unique suspension tuningalbeit of the same exact componentsmight somehow magically transform the ride quality. After all, that gobsmacking Escalade V is so much more than just a more powerful Silverado.To an extent, yes. The Escalade IQ handles bumps, cracks, and tramlines in the road better than the lower-spec GM siblings. By 10 percent or so, I thought. And the decision to add rear-wheel steering certainly helps while navigating tight urban environs, tooeven if "Arrival Mode" as Caddys take on "Crab Walk" seems more gimmicky than truly functional. But still, at nearly every instance, the weight remains simply unavoidable.On the winding mountain spines of Route 35 south of SF proper, this gargantuan three-row even handles well enough to make the prospect of speeding tickets a true concern. But I suspect that launching off the line and cornering without body roll matter much less to the luxury buyer than the suppleness to smoothly erase speed bumps and eliminate any inkling of minor cracks in the road. Credit: Michael Teo Van Runkle To that end, Cadillac at least ramps up the sound deadening to improve NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) that an internal-combustion engine might otherwise drown out. More comfortable seats probably help, too, and all hope of hearing wind and tire hum evaporated when I cranked up the tunes on the 38-speaker sound system in my test unit.That veritable army of AKG speakers creates quite possibly the best audio experience of any vehicle Ive ever driven. Yet surprisingly, due to development timelines, Cadillac will sell the forthcoming 2025 Optiq with Dolby Atmos surround sound but not the Escalade, at least until the 2026 model year. (Still no Apple CarPlay on GMs newer EVs, though.)The IQL will also arrive for 2026, with slightly more cargo space alongside the improved third-row ergonomics. Yet the standard IQ already offers 23.6 cubic feet (668 L) of storage volume behind the third row, as well as 12.2 cubic feet (345 L) in the "eTrunk" front trunk that can feature an optional sliding tray rated at 175 pounds (80 kg) because the frunk stretches so far back from the huge front bumper. Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle At the very least, the Escalade IQ undoubtedly delivers the kind of style and presence that internal-combustion Cadillac buyers should appreciate. The exterior design adds a bit of futuristic angularity, versus the boxy ICE Escalade, with hints of Range Rover and Rolls-Royce Cullinan thrown in for good measure. The sumptuous upholstery, glossy wood grain, snappy touchscreens, and copious storage also help the interior live up to Cadillacs high net worth proposition.The sheer size and weight also take advantage of another Ultium pro: fast fast-charging. The Escalade IQ uses two 400-volt systems working together in series and can therefore fully capitalize on a 350-kilowatt DC fast charger to add over 100 miles (160 km) in 10 minutes.It is worth mentioning, however, that due to the overall weight, General Motors does not need to publish EPA estimates: the 460 miles (740 km) of range, 750 horsepower, and 785 lb-ft are all GMs figures. Similarly, Cadillac declined to even share an official curb weight, instead reps on hand in San Francisco repeatedly said "over 9,000 pounds" and referred to the 10,000 lb ( 4,535 kg) GVWR (gross vehicular weight rating) as dictating specific details including flat-glass side mirrors (so no "objects in mirror are closer than they appear" script). Credit: Michael Teo Van Runkle Based on my personal experiences over the course of a day in the Escalade IQ, as well as previously with the RST First Edition, when I managed 480 miles (772 km) on a full charge at mostly highway speeds, I do believe the 460-mile range number. And the ability to use an adapter and plug the Escalade IQ into a Tesla Supercharger entirely changes the game, even if Superchargers cant max out that 350 kW charge rate.The Escalade nameplate has ruled the three-row luxury SUV class for a quarter-century now. And despite the overt inflation in almost every regard, Cadillac clearly believes the uncompromising urban buyer who wants power, panache, and plenty of room for the fam will eventually decide to go electric. 17 Comments