LIKES
- Promised price
- Available 300-mile range
- 150-kw fast charging
- Good tech
- Many options…
DISLIKES
- …at what price?
- Manual front seats
- Baby Blazer EV
BUYING TIP
- The limited edition 2RS launched the Equinox EV in fall of 2023. Other models will follow.
A $30,000 electric car for the masses? The 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV promises to undercut the competition.
What kind of car is the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV? What does it compare to?
The 2024 Equinox is a full battery electric companion to the popular small crossover with the same name that seats five passengers. A smaller take on the Chevy Blazer EV, the Equinox EV represents an alternative to the Bolt EV and EUV hatchbacks in GM’s electric family, and offers a more affordable entry point to electric crossovers than the Volkswagen ID.4, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Hyundai Ioniq 5.
Is the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV a good crossover SUV?
We’ll withhold our driving impressions until we drive it next fall, and we’ll suspend our doubts on the $30,000 starting price until Chevy discloses the full specs and trim levels. Other automakers have touted EVs priced for the masses before, but with the Bolt EV and now the Equinox EV, Chevy is poised to deliver.
What’s new for the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV?
Alike in name only to the gas-powered Equinox, the EV is a new model for 2024. It shares many features and battery propulsion components with the Blazer EV, and it looks like a smaller, sleeker take on its larger sibling.
The interior hides its budget nature with an 11.0-inch digital instrument cluster and 11.0-inch touchscreen that can be upgraded to a 17.7-inch touchscreen on top 3LT and 3RS grades. Housed in a single unit that curves slightly toward the driver, the interface has a volume knob up high and climate dials down low, so drivers won’t need to rely on the touchscreen for basic functions. Circular vents flank the dash in a nod to the Blazer EV.
The Equinox EV fits five passengers, like the Blazer EV, but its smaller proportions should result in less space for rear riders. Those seats fold flat to expand cargo volume to 57.0 cubic feet, though Chevy didn’t detail the full specs.
Also left unspecified were the motor sizes and which version of the Ultium battery propulsion system will power the Equinox EV. Chevy will offer it in single-motor front-wheel-drive form with an output estimated at 210 hp and 242 lb-ft of torque, and an estimated range of 250 miles. That is the standard 1LT base model for the $30,000 price. With the larger battery pack, the range extends to 300 miles, and that is standard on all but the 1LT.
Dual-motor all-wheel-drive models are available across the lineup. They generate an estimated 290 hp and 346 lb-ft of torque and have a 280-mile range. The Equinox comes with one-pedal driving that features more pronounced regenerative braking and the ability to stop without pressing the brake pedal.
The Equinox EV can DC fast-charge at up to 150 kw, which enables 70 miles of range to be added in just 10 minutes, according to GM. With a Level 2 charge, the Equinox EV comes standard with an 11.5-kw AC onboard charger, allowing up to 34 miles of range per hour. The top 3RS AWD trim comes with a 19.2-kw setup, adding up to 51 miles per hour on a Level 2. GM says the battery will be covered for eight years or 100,000 miles.
How much does the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV cost?
GM promises a $30,000 starting point, but that base 1LT won’t be the first to market. The limited edition 2RS arrives first, at a price that won’t be announced until production ramps up in the fall of 2023. A 3RS tops the lineup, while 2LT and 3LT grades fill the middle as the expected volume models.
Stepping up to the 2LT adds an 8-way power driver seat, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, a front LED light bar, and the option for several extras, ranging from the 17.7-inch touchscreen and a white roof on a blue body, to GM’s excellent Super Cruise hands-free driving system on the highway.
The 2RS does the same, but with sportier elements mixed in, such as 20-inch dark alloy wheels and a flat-bottomed steering wheel.
The 3LT and 3RS grades add power adjustments for the front passenger, cooled front seats, heated rear outboard seats, dual-zone climate control, heated windshield wipers while parked, the larger touchscreen as standard, and 21-inch wheels. A hands-free tailgate is standard, as is adaptive cruise control and a surround-view camera system. A head-up display and Super Cruise cost extra.
Where is the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV made?
At GM’s Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, factory, alongside the Blazer EV.
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