I spent about two weeks driving the Cadillac Escalade IQ all around British Columbia for this review, and I came out of the experience impressed. It proves that large SUVs can certainly be all-electric, but you need to be willing to have a big and heavy battery pack.
Earlier this month, I road-tripped all over British Columbia in the new Cadillac Escalade IQ with my girlfriend and three friends, putting over 1,000 kilometers on what is by far the biggest electric SUV I’ve ever reviewed. It might just be the biggest electric SUV, period.
After spending so much time behind the wheel, loading it with luggage for five people, and navigating everything from city streets to winding island roads, I have a lot of thoughts on how this massive EV performs as a road trip machine. And let me tell you, its range is absolutely nuts.
Exterior: Unapologetically big and practical
You can’t talk about the Escalade IQ without first addressing its sheer size. It’s a huge truck that makes even a Rivian R1S look small when you park next to it.
It has a length of 224.3 inches (5,697 mm), a wheelbase of 136.2 inches (3,460 mm), and a height of 76.1 inches (1,933 mm).
While its size is imposing, Cadillac has done a great job with the design. The front features one of the best-executed “fake grilles” I’ve seen on an EV, complete with an illuminated Cadillac logo that gives it a premium look.
But the real story up front is the massive frunk. For our 10-day trip with five people, that front trunk was a lifesaver, swallowing up luggage with ease. There’s even a 120-volt outlet inside, which is a nice, practical touch. One that we didn’t use, to be honest.
The rear is just as spacious, with plenty of cargo room even with the third row in use, plus more hidden storage under the floor for chargers and other gear. This thing is built for hauling people and their stuff, no question about it.
Interior: A mobile executive lounge
Inside, the Escalade IQ I tested was equipped with the “Executive Seat” package, which turns the second row into a first-class cabin. You get two captain’s chairs with the same heating, ventilation, and massaging functions as the front seats. The centerpiece is a giant center console that houses dual wireless phone chargers, USB-C ports, and a deployable workstation table that I found genuinely useful for getting work done on the move.
The drawback is that it makes the third row feel significantly smaller, as there is no space to stretch out between the seats. If you plan to use the third row frequently, I don’t recommend the executive seats.
The dashboard is dominated by screens with a UI that can be overwhelming, but I started to enjoy it after getting used to it within about a week with the car.
The driver gets a clean instrument cluster, there’s a large central infotainment screen, and even the passenger gets their own display. For the back, passengers have their own screens with HDMI inputs, allowing you to connect a gaming console, or whatever else, powered by one of the car’s many outlets.
Driving Experience: A boat with insane range
So, how does a vehicle this massive actually drive? Well, on twisty roads, there’s no hiding its size; it definitely has a boat-like feeling in the corners, which can be a bit much for passengers in the third row.
To be fair, I have limited experience driving SUVs of this size. Therefore, I’m not saying that it is worse than any other large SUV. It was simply how I felt for me coming from generally much smaller vehicles.
But on the highway, it’s a supremely comfortable cruiser. And with 750 horsepower in the V version, featuring Velocity Mode, it delivers the instant, effortless acceleration you expect from a high-end EV, making merging and passing a breeze despite its weight and size.
I especially enjoyed the camera system in the Escalade IQ, including the very accurate and low-distortion 360 view. It makes it a lot easier to handle the giant size in parking and tight situations.
The most impressive part, however, is the range. The Escalade IQ is packing a monstrous 212 kWh battery pack (205 kWh usable), and the results are staggering. On our trip, we saw over 800 km of estimated range on the dashboard. Even fully loaded with five people and luggage, and driving up and down mountains, we were getting an efficiency of around 3.3 km/kWh. That means 676 km (420 miles) of range.
It felt as if I was trying to be a bit more cautious of my efficiency during my driving; I could have pushed it close to the 800 km estimated range.
The regenerative braking is also incredibly effective on a vehicle this heavy. On downhill stretches, I saw it recouping energy at over 150 kW—basically fast-charging itself just by slowing down.
The heads-up display was also useful without being distracting.
Finally, the Escalade IQ is equipped with Supercruise, GM’s ADAS system for highway driving. It did prove useful on highways, but we were mostly driving on highways and country roads where the system is not available.
I find Supercruise to be most useful in traffic on highways.
Electrek’s Take
The Cadillac Escalade IQ demonstrates that large SUVs can be made electric. You just need to be willing to put a large battery pack in it.
While its size may not be for everyone, and its $130,000+ price tag firmly places it in the luxury category, it’s a statement piece.
As battery prices continue to fall and energy density improves, the technology that allows this Escalade to travel 800 km on a charge will eventually find its way into more affordable family SUVs, and increasingly cheaper and lighter vehicles. And that’s something to be excited about.
One thing I would like GM/Cadillac to do with this vehicle, and all their vehicles really, is enable bidirectional charging without being locked into their Ultium system. Let us use this giant battery pack how we want.
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