The electric Cadillac Escalade IQ isn’t quite on sale yet, but at least a few people are driving them around, even if they shouldn’t be. Thieves broke into one of GM’s storage lots in Detroit and were reportedly able to make off with multiple Escalade IQs without getting caught. At least one ended up beached on a concrete barrier when a thief presumably attempted to drive it through the lot’s fence.
In an Instagram video from Metro Detroit News, you can see one of the Escalade IQs sticking through a massive hole in the fence, on top of a concrete divider. It’s unclear if someone was still in the Caddy while the video was being filmed, as the SUV’s front tires are still spinning. However, it’s also possible that it was just damaged in the crash and malfunctioning, considering that the rear wheels aren’t turning at all.
According to the post, the incident happened around 3 a.m. on Wednesday at a lot on Lynch Rd, near its intersection with Van Dyke about a dozen blocks from I-94. No suspects were taken into custody as of midday yesterday, but local coverage also appears to be thin on the ground. In an email Friday morning, a GM representative told The Drive, “We can confirm that a few vehicles were stolen from a third-party storage facility in Detroit. We are working with authorities to recover the vehicles.”
It’s unclear how many vehicles were stolen in total, and how precisely thieves managed to get away with the ones they could. The Escalade IQ that was stuck in the fence, spinning its wheels, appears undamaged at that moment. But later in the Instagram video, we see another Escalade with a smashed-up front end, seemingly still at the lot. Was it used as a battering ram for the others?
In theory, GM should be able to track the vehicles via their OnStar systems. And, for what it’s worth, Escalade IQs aren’t exactly the most inconspicuous or common SUVs on the road. If you see one around town—or a long distance away, for that matter—that looks especially worse for wear, there’s a decent possibility it was involved in this raid.
Update Friday, Dec. 13, 11:30 a.m. Eastern: Added GM’s statement to the article.
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