2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV revealed, starting price 'around' $30,000
The 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV gets its big reveal today, hitting the Internet just a week before the Detroit Auto Show. We’re only a few months on from Chevy revealing the Blazer EV, and for folks wishing for something affordable, the Equinox EV is going to look a fair bit more tantalizing.
GM is detailing a number of vital specs for every motor, battery and trim configuration today, but it’s only providing a price estimate for the base 1LT model, telling us that it will start “around $30,000.” For that price, you’ll get a single-motor front-wheel-drive Equinox EV that produces 210 horsepower and 242 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired with the base (smallest) battery pack, and Chevy estimates a 250-mile range on a full charge. We don’t know how much the upcharge will be yet, but you can pair the 1LT with the big battery pack for 300 miles of range. You can also spec it with all-wheel drive, which automatically tacks on the big battery, leading to a range estimate of 280 miles. The 1LT eAWD (and every all-wheel-drive Equinox) comes with a dual-motor setup that results in a combined output of 290 horsepower and 346 pound-feet of torque.
It’s not abundantly obvious in photos, but the Equinox EV is a fair bit bigger than the regular, gas-powered Equinox. Chevy says the EV is 7.4 inches longer and 2.8 inches wider. The 9.0-inch longer wheelbase and 1.9-inch reduction in height really help the Equinox EV’s proportions, too. Cargo space maxes out at 57.2 cubic-feet, which is nearly 7 cubic-feet less than the gasoline Equinox, a compromise for design. Just like the Blazer EV, there is no frunk — Chevy uses the space for the front drive unit and other electronics instead.
Styling varies widely between trims. The base 1LT in gray is subdued and melts into the background, while the RS (in white) and 3LT (in blue above) both pop with far more flare and look-at-me attitude. Every trim gets a distinctive wrap-around LED taillight, but only upper trims enjoy the full-width front DRL. Wheel sizes range from 19- to 21-inch options.
Charging technology and speed is the same across the board. The Ultium platform-based crossover maxes out at 150-kW fast-charging — Chevy says that this can return approximately 70 miles of range to the car in as little as 10 minutes. It’s a similar charge speed as vehicles like the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Toyota bZ4X, but it lags behind segment leaders like the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5. Level 2 charging at 11.5 kW is standard, but the top-line 3RS offers 19.2-kW Level 2 charging — at this rate, you’ll get 51 miles of range per hour. Lastly, GM is showing off a new V2L (vehicle-to-load) system with the Equinox EV, but it’s only optional on the 3RS. If you spec your Equinox this way, it will provide up to 3 kW of power to whatever electrical item you have plugged into it. That’s not enough to rescue a stranded EV on the side of the road (at least not in a reasonable timeframe), but it’ll work quite nicely for camping and tailgating applications.
As for the interior, the 1LT will come with a big 11-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard equipment. Step up to higher trims, and you get an even bigger 17-inch infotainment system (pictured above). No matter the trim, Chevy includes hard buttons for climate controls and a fully digital instrument cluster. Optional tech extras include niceties like a head-up display, digital rearview camera mirror and a 360-degree camera. Plus, Chevy is making Super Cruise optional, so you can get GM’s awesome hands-free driver assistance system.
Pricing details for the other trims — 2LT, 3LT, 2RS and 3RS — are not available yet, but Chevy doesn’t specify any range differences between trims, as they all get the big battery as standard equipment, leaving front-drive cars with 300 miles of range and all-wheel-drive cars with 280 miles. No matter the trim, GM says the Equinox EV’s battery comes with an 8-year 100,000-mile warranty in addition to the regular bumper-to-bumper warranty.
The first Equinox EVs off the line will be a special 2RS “limited edition” model not pictured here. Chevy says it will offer unique colors inside and out, but provided no further details, including price. These launch cars will be available in Fall 2023. GM didn’t provide a detailed outline of its launch schedule, but it claims all trims will be made available at some point within the 2024 model year. We hope the base 1LT model isn’t the last to launch, but if the plan is the same as many other GM EVs, the most expensive trims will be what come first. As for the production location, Chevy says it will be manufacturing the Equinox EV at its Ramos Arizpe, Mexico facility where it also plans to make the Blazer EV.
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