New Electric Cadillac Escalade IQL Priced at $132,000
Cadillac has unveiled the pricing for the 2026 Escalade IQL, the long-wheelbase version of its flagship SUV. The all-electric Escalade IQL will start at $132,695, which includes a destination freight charge but excludes taxes, title, and dealer fees. This announcement comes almost two years after Cadillac revealed its first all-electric full-size SUV.
If buyers opt for the Velocity Max 10 package, the Escalade IQL can deliver up to 750 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque, according to Cadillac. This configuration allows the vehicle to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in a brisk 4.7 seconds. The new SUV is also expected to offer greater cargo space, executives said in a news release, as well as a Cadillac-estimated range of 460 miles on a full charge. Furthermore, the company anticipates quick charging turnaround, with the capability to add approximately 116 miles of range in just 10 minutes when connected to a fast-charging station.
Production of the 2026 Cadillac Escalade IQL is scheduled to begin in mid-2025 at General Motors’ Factory Zero plant in Detroit. Cadillac plans to sell the IQL across its 10 markets, including Canada and China.
Cadillac’s Electric Ambitions
Cadillac is progressing toward its goal of having an all-electric vehicle lineup by 2030. John Roth, 56, vice president of Global Cadillac, stated that the brand’s strategic plan, originally developed in 2015, has come to fruition, reflecting the brand’s commitment to innovation and luxury. “Are you truly engineering a portfolio and a platform from the ground up and making it a luxury vehicle? That’s where Cadillac wanted to go,” Roth said.
Cadillac’s move into electric vehicles follows a period where the company has surpassed pre-pandemic sales volumes. Last year, Cadillac sales reached 160,204 units, marking a 2.5% increase from 156,246 in 2019, according to the Automotive News Data Center. While still below the peak of 235,002 Cadillacs sold in 2005, the upward trajectory in sales demonstrates the growing viability of the electric powertrain among customers.
Sales of the Lyriq, which launched in 2022, initially faced production challenges. However, sales significantly increased to 9,154 in 2023 and 28,402 in 2024.
Roth emphasized that the company’s electric vehicle strategy was shaped by the inherent design advantages offered by a battery-based platform: “You end up with cars and SUVs like we have today because you’re no longer constrained by the traditional gas elements that make up a vehicle.” The new Escalade platform “is literally its own platform, design, wiring architecture and exterior vehicle design,” Roth added. “If you set the two of them next to each other, they still have Escalade characteristics, but the IQ is a completely different vehicle than its sister.”
Looking ahead, Cadillac plans to launch the Optiq compact SUV and the three-row Vistiq SUV, further expanding its electric vehicle portfolio for its customers. Roth expressed optimism about the future, referencing past successes: “Every big milestone of innovation meant volume growth and brand growth for General Motors.”
