Forget about the six-figure Silverado electric car: The most exciting electric Chevrolet coming soon may be a pair of more readily available SUVs. Today (January 5, local time), the automaker announced the electric pickup at CES 2022 and confirmed that the Chevrolet Equinox electric SUV is about to be launched, and at the same time, it will have a larger Chevrolet Blazer electric SUV.
Chevrolet said full details of the two electric vehicles will come up in due course, though it did not share some key details about the new model. Both the Equinox EV SUV and the Blazer EV SUV will be available in the U.S. in 2024, with the former in the fall and the latter in the spring.
Chevrolet said the price of the Equinox electric SUV will start at around $30,000, counting other expenses such as delivery fees but not counting government incentives. Additionally, it will be available in fleet and retail versions, including the LT and RS configurations that Chevrolet shows in its images today. Like silverado EV, Cadillac Lyriq and GMC HUMMER EV, Equinox EV will also be based on the universal Ultium platform dedicated to EVs.
This sets it apart from Chevrolet's choice of economy electric vehicles to date, namely the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV. Priced at $31,000 and $33,000, respectively, they are among the cheapest new EV models in the U.S. right now, but they're built on GM's older eviction platform, the BEV II. The platform was designed for front-wheel-drive models, and it proved too expensive to make adjustments for all-wheel drive: while the Bolt EUV might look like a crossover, it lacked the all-wheel-drive option that many crossover buyers were looking for.
While the exact powertrain details haven't been shared yet, it's an issue the Equinox EV shouldn't be facing. Ultium has been designed for front, rear and all-wheel drive models with up to four electric motors. While the latter is unlikely to appear on this affordable Chevrolet, the ability to offer both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations seems more certain. What remains to be confirmed is the mileage. Ultium as a platform has the potential to be able to travel more than 400 miles on a charge, though GM has already said it plans to offer more affordable low-end vehicles.
The news is so important because of how strong the existing Equinox is in Chevrolet's lineup and in the average compact SUV. According to Steve Hill, chevrolet vice president, it is the automaker's second-highest-selling brand.