I read something interesting about the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ.
It incorporates a set of assist steps that aids with ingress and egress. Not to mention its tall, utility vehicle stance, what a beauty!
However, it seems that the all-electric Escalade doesn't include power-deployable boards, but rather offers fixed ones. The GM Authority Executive Editor, Alex Luft, and Escalade IQ aerodynamics engineer, Chenxing Yu, discussed this in an interview, explaining why the all-electric SUV offers fixed running boards instead of power-deployable ones.
Yu mentioned that the decision came down to vehicle architecture, though other factors were involved. Typically, fixed boards are actually a more optimal shape for vehicle aerodynamics, which is crucial for efficiency in all-electric vehicles. Additionally, power-deployable boards would reduce usability for ingress and egress because they would not be large enough to fit a foot. There was also a need to find the right balance between form and function.
But this isn't unique to the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ. From what I've seen, no GM electric vehicle offers power-retractable running boards; instead, they all have fixed running boards. However, the GMC Hummer EV Pickup, Chevy Silverado, and Hummer EV SUV seem like solid contenders for offering this relatively simple luxury feature in the future.
It incorporates a set of assist steps that aids with ingress and egress. Not to mention its tall, utility vehicle stance, what a beauty!
However, it seems that the all-electric Escalade doesn't include power-deployable boards, but rather offers fixed ones. The GM Authority Executive Editor, Alex Luft, and Escalade IQ aerodynamics engineer, Chenxing Yu, discussed this in an interview, explaining why the all-electric SUV offers fixed running boards instead of power-deployable ones.
Yu mentioned that the decision came down to vehicle architecture, though other factors were involved. Typically, fixed boards are actually a more optimal shape for vehicle aerodynamics, which is crucial for efficiency in all-electric vehicles. Additionally, power-deployable boards would reduce usability for ingress and egress because they would not be large enough to fit a foot. There was also a need to find the right balance between form and function.
But this isn't unique to the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ. From what I've seen, no GM electric vehicle offers power-retractable running boards; instead, they all have fixed running boards. However, the GMC Hummer EV Pickup, Chevy Silverado, and Hummer EV SUV seem like solid contenders for offering this relatively simple luxury feature in the future.
