Electric Cadillac Escalade to launch in the US this year

US car giant General Motors has teased an upcoming electric variant of the Cadillac Escalade, with the battery-powered luxury SUV due to be unveiled before the end of the year.

The Escalade became one of the world’s first luxury SUVs when it launched in 1999, bringing Cadillac into the modern age through appearances in rap videos, films and TV shows – most notably at the height of The Sopranos.

A recent image uploaded to Cadillac’s media website shows an ‘Escalade IQ’ badge, all but confirming the luxury SUV is set to become the brand’s third model to join its battery-powered ‘IQ’ model line-up – alongside the Lyriq SUV and Celestiq flagship luxury sedan.

General Motors – which also owns Chevrolet and was previously the parent company of Holden – plans for the Cadillac brand to be exclusively battery powered by 2030, with the Escalade representing its first of existing models to be locked in for an electric future.

The Cadillac Escalade IQ is one of three electric models the brand plans to launch this year, becoming available in North America for the 2024 model year.

US publication Car and Driver reports it is highly likely the electric Escalade will be powered by General Motors’ ‘Ultium’ battery technology, which is used in other large vehicles such as the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Hummer EV.

If the Escalade does utilise the Ultium-based platform, it could be equipped with a massive 177kWh battery pack and deliver almost 620kW from three electric motors – though these specs are yet to be officially confirmed.

The Cadillac Escalade IQ will also be just the second version of the model since its launch in 1999 to go without V8 power, after the fifth-generation Escalade debuted in 2021 with the option of a 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel engine.

While Cadillac has not sold a car in Australia since 1969 – having pulled out from a return in 2008 due to the Global Financial Crisis – recent trademark filings and right-hand-drive prototype vehicles have hinted at the brand coming back Down Under.

In December 2022, Drive discovered General Motors had filed a trademark for the Lyriq name in Australia, which followed Cadillac being trademarked in August 2020.

Just three months later, a right-hand-drive pre-production Cadillac Lyriq was spied near the brand’s headquarters in Michigan – though there is no confirmation it will be sold in Australia.