  In this article we study singular subelliptic $p$-Laplace equations and best constants in Sobolev inequalities on nilpotent Lie groups. We prove solvability of these subelliptic $p$-Laplace equations and existence of the minimizer of the corresponding variational problem. It leads to existence of the best constant in the corresponding $(q,p)$-Sobolev inequality, $0<q<1$, $1<p<\nu$. 
Singular subelliptic equations and Sobolev inequalities on nilpotent Lie   groups