2024 Chevy Blazer, Equinox EVs Show GM’s Steady Approach to EV Dominance
By Edward A. Sanchez — July 20, 2022
General Motors CEO Mary Barra has gotten a lot of headlines lately for proclaiming that GM intends on beating Tesla on a unit volume basis for EVs by 2025. While many are incredulous at this boast considering the company has only sold a handful of EVs in the last few quarters, the fruits of the company’s multi-billion dollar investment into the Ultium platform seems like they’re finally coming to fruition. This week, the company unveiled production-intent images of the 2024 Blazer EV, and some sharp-eyes sleuths also found images of the forthcoming Equinox EV in the “Coming Soon” section of Chevrolet’s consumer-facing website.
The technical specifications announced for the Blazer EV show a unique approach. It will be offered in front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive, and all-wheel-drive configurations, with multiple battery specifications and range ratings, and price points ranging from the mid-$40,000 range up to $60,000+ for the hot rod 557 hp SS model. At the same time of the reveal of the consumer-targeted model, Chevrolet also announced it would be offering a Police Pursuit Vehicle (PPV) variant for law enforcement.
While $45,000 may not exactly be the “everyman” price for the average car buyer, it’s not outrageous compared to some of its marketplace competitors such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Volkswagen ID.4. Besides which, that’s what the Equinox EV is for, which Chevrolet promises will start in the $30,000 range.
The upcoming Chevy Blazer EV will be available in RWD, FWD, and AWD configurations, some likely with battery pack options to boot.
Let’s take a look at the specs GM has announced for some of the Blazer EV trims: The entry-level 1LT trim has a 247-mile targeted EPA range and is front-wheel-drive. The 2LT has a targeted 293-mile range and is available with front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive. The RS trim is the most interesting of the bunch, as it will be offered in all three drivetrain configurations, and will have the highest targeted range at 320 miles.
The asterisk noted with the drivetrain and range figure is “Availability dependent upon battery pack size.” Our semi-educated guess is the 320-mile spec will be FWD. All Blazer EV models will feature 11.5 kW AC charging capability, and the RS and SS will feature 190 kW DC fast charging capability.
The Blazer EV offers a very traditional cockpit layout.
The SS model’s powertrain is configured for 557 hp and 648 lb-ft of torque, good for a claimed 0-60 time of less than 4 seconds. Its performance acceleration mode is a somewhat more PG-rated WOW (Wide Open Watts) rather than the Hummer EV’s somewhat suggestive WTF (Watts to Freedom) mode. The SS will also feature standard Brembo performance brakes, Super Cruise hands-free highway cruise control, and unique interior trim featuring suede microfiber seating in Adrenaline Red or Black/Medium Ash Gray.
Styling-wise, the Blazer EV shares a strong similarity with the current ICE Blazer, which is not a bad thing, as the Blazer is subjectively one of the best-looking two-row midsize crossovers on the market. GM promises the Blazer EV will go on-sale starting in summer of 2023, launching with the 2LT and RS trims, with the 1LT and SS trims coming later.
(Images courtesy GM)
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