2024 Cadillac Escalade EV: Is Escalade Going Electric? Cadillac unveiled the current, fifth version of the Escalade full-size luxury SUV flagship early in 2020 for the 2021 model year with both gasoline and diesel engines. The Escalade has become a now-traditional vehicle in the luxury SUV market.
In the last several months, General Motors has made a number of announcements on the introduction of all-electric cars to its lineup of brands and models, and these announcements have been rather frequent. Just recently, it was revealed that the GMC Hummer EV SUV and the electric-powered version of the Chevy Silverado pickup truck would both be coming to market in the near future.
At Cadillac, we are already aware of the future Lyriq SUV as well as the Celestiq sedan, which is also in the process of being developed. Despite this, there are a number of rumors going on that the Cadillac Escalade SUV, which is the flagship model of the series, will eventually be available in an all-electric form.
According to a forecast from AutoForecast Solutions, which is cited by the Detroit News, manufacturing of the Escalade EV is scheduled to begin at the Factory Zero factory in Michigan as early as January 2024. Assembling of electric versions of the Hummer and Silverado will take place here as well.
It also looks that the Escalade EV will not replace its counterpart which is powered by a combustion engine; rather, the business aims to offer both models simultaneously. Due to the fact that not all Escalade customers are ready to make the switch away from the V8 engine just yet, this is undeniably the best plan.
Cadillac does not want to aggravate its devoted client base for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that these consumers now pay upwards of one hundred thousand dollars for an Escalade. Let’s say that ensuring their satisfaction is a priority.
2024 Cadillac Escalade EV
Production
According to a report by The Detroit News, which cited Sam Fiorani of AutoForecast Solutions, it is possible that the Cadillac Escalade EV will be manufactured at the Factory Zero factory in Michigan, which is also the location of the manufacturing of the Hummer EV SUV.
It was recently disclosed by Mary Barra, Chair and CEO of GM, that the corporation would convert another truck facility into an electric vehicle (EV) truck plant. It’s possible that this is the Arlington Assembly factory in Texas; that’s where the business manufactures all of its full-size SUVs for the American market.
The Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, as well as the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, as well as the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, are all produced in this facility. Around the middle of this decade, it might be converted into a facility that manufactures electric vehicles and then produces the same models with electric powertrains.
Design
The electric version of the Cadillac Escalade might make its debut as a concept vehicle as early as the next year. In March of 2020, the American journal Car and Driver revealed that Cadillac was working on an electric version of the Escalade, and the publication was able to have a glimpse at the concept car for the vehicle.
C&D discussed their thoughts on the Escalade EV concept after seeing it in an exclusive preview. It is said that the electric version of the Escalade is more aerodynamic than the standard model because it has a windshield that is slanted sharply and a body that is less boxy, but it is still “unmistakably an Escalade.”
The exterior cannot have a too futuristic or edgy appearance like the electric vehicles being produced by newer businesses. An Escalade, whether it be electric or powered by an internal combustion engine, is expected to have a dignified and unmistakably American appearance.
It has been brought to our attention that Therese Palazzo, who is in charge of the external design of the Escalade, and the design team that is working on the electric edition won’t take any chances with deviating from the original work.
2024 Cadillac Escalade EV Interior
Platform
The electric Cadillac Escalade will be placed in a higher tier than the upcoming electric Cadillac Lyriq, which is expected to be available to consumers in a few months. The Ultrium platform technology that General Motors currently has essentially enabled the company to rapidly produce electric variations of popular nameplates (such as the Escalade, Blazer, Hummer, Silverado, and Corvette) or to create whole new body designs.
The pouch-style cells that make up its Ultium battery technology have the ability to be stacked either vertically or horizontally inside the battery pack, making it one of the most versatile battery technologies available.
Performance
It is possible that the Cadillac Escalade EV will be equipped with the most powerful electric motor out of GM’s three new Ultium Drive units. Here, one permanent magnet synchronous motor delivers 255 kW (342 horsepower). The PMSM has the capability of providing power to both the front and the rear wheels.
According to the firm, it was designed specifically with performance all-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive applications in mind when it was being developed.
Three of the 255 kW motors used in the GMC Hummer EV 2022 will work together to provide a combined power output of one thousand horsepower (GM est.). You may anticipate the Cadillac Escalade EV to come standard with either two or three motors with 255 kW each, depending on the configuration.
It is possible that it will not be able to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only three seconds like the Hummer, but it should still be quite rapid for an American full-size SUV.
Silicon carbide is one of the materials that General Motors intends to employ in the integrated power electronics of its next-generation electric vehicle’s Ultium Drive units. Silicon carbide has the potential to extend the range of an electric vehicle (EV), decrease its weight, and save space.
The business has formed a strategic alliance with Wolfspeed with the purpose of accelerating the research and development of silicon carbide power device solutions. Marcy, New York is home to the most advanced silicon carbide manufacturing plant in the world, which is owned and operated by Wolfspeed.
Its electric propulsion systems are suitable for use in electric vehicles with system voltages ranging from 400V to 800V and even higher. It is possible that General Motors will employ its silicon carbide in the integrated power electronics of the Ultium Drive unit for the Cadillac Escalade EV.
Battery & Range
It has outstanding bandwidth because to the fact that GM’s third-generation global EV platform is able to house Ultium cells with battery capacities ranging from 50 to 200 kWh. Due to the fact that it is the flagship model, the Cadillac Escalade EV will most likely be equipped with a battery that has the maximum capacity. According to GM, the most powerful Ultium battery can go over 400 miles (or 640 kilometers) on a single charge.
In addition, the Escalade EV will be able to take use of DC fast charging in the form of an 800V/350 kW capability, since GM’s truck platform vehicles are slated to have this capacity in the near future. After just ten minutes of charging, it would have a range of around one hundred miles.
Batteries for the Cadillac Escalade EV should have a very high degree of material sourced from the local area. At the moment, the majority of lithium is obtained via importation despite the fact that it is an essential component of the cathodes and electrolytes of batteries.
The Golden Bowtie intends to get lithium from the United States for the production of its next-generation EV batteries. These batteries will most likely be used in upcoming models such as the Cadillac Escalade Electric Vehicle.
Lithium will be sourced regionally and at a reduced cost by General Motors (GM), which intends to develop an investment and commercial relationship with Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR).
According to the information provided by the corporation, the manufacturing of lithium will be carried out by means of a closed-loop, direct extraction method.
The technique results in a smaller physical footprint, no production tailing, and fewer carbon dioxide emissions compared to typical lithium mining operations such as evaporation ponds or pit mining. Additionally, the approach eliminates the need to store production waste.
Lithium will be recovered from geothermal brine by the closed-loop, direct extraction technique used by CTR. CTR’s Hell’s Kitchen Lithium and Power venture in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field has the potential to provide GM with a significant fraction of the lithium hydroxide and carbonate it will need in the foreseeable future.
2024 Cadillac Escalade EV Exterior
Features
There is little question that many of the amenities seen on the Hummer EV might find their way into the Escalade EV, and one of those elements could be a huge sunroof, also known as “Sky Panels” in GMC’s language. The Cadillac Escalade EV is anticipated to be the most costly SUV offered by General Motors across all of its brands.
It is also anticipated to contain the most technologically sophisticated infotainment systems available on any GM vehicle. You may anticipate that it will feature a display of the highest quality, complete with sharp graphics, an abundance of connected car options, lightning-fast 5G connection, and a great deal more.
