General Motors is not going to exclusively have high-end electric SUVs like the GMC HUMMER EV and Cadillac Lyriq, it will also have mid-range models. There you already have the Chevrolet Bolt, but it is a model with an expiration date as it is not based on the Ultium architecture. The mainstays of GM’s electric expansion will be the Silverado EV, Blazer EV, and Equinox EV.
The third on the list was anticipated in January in two versions, the basic LT and the sporty RS, with a starting price target of $30,000. It could be more expensive since with the rise in inflation it does not seem like a solid announcement. Through various teasers, we have noted that the 2023 Equinox EV RS will be available in fall 2023, with the LT model to follow later.
It is the one we see in the image above, which can already be seen on the American website of Chevrolet. It is the typical crossover design with a two-tone roof, a seemingly floating C-pillar for visual illusion, contrasting color mirrors, a lower black band to make the body appear shorter, a roof rack, etc. The ground clearance seems more than enough for a car designed to go mainly on asphalt.
It is the same color combination seen in the teaser video released in March. With these credentials, I would not rule out the return of Chevrolet to the Old Continent, after a temporary stay of about 10 years in which an attempt was made to sneak the Daevrolet to the European customer, a fundamentally Korean product (ex Daewoo) or rebranded from Opel. It didn’t work, to anyone’s surprise. This could be different.
Maru Barra, CEO of General Motors, aspires to “hunt” Tesla in 2025 with products such as the Equinox EV. In a recent interview with the Associated Press, he stated: “To get 30%, 40% or 50% shares on electric cars you have to go to people who can afford cars in the range of $30,000 to $35,000. ” Tesla doesn’t sell cars at those prices, he said he would, but the Model 3 Standards aren’t there.
However, Tesla has already announced a production capacity of 1.9 million units, and GM does not have that. In part, Tesla compensates for its high prices -from $40,000- with facilities to finance cars, taking advantage of low interest, and that the simple savings per kilometer make the cars “pay for themselves”. GM can do that too.
When the Bolt bites the dust, the Equinox EV will take its place. Yes, it will be a more expensive model, but also larger, with more autonomy, with more rapid recharging capacity, and without being able to say that it is -disparagingly- «a car for Europeans». Compact and subcompact cars are a tough sell in the US, especially in the $26,000-$28,000 range, where Bolt EVs and EUVs start.
General Motors has to move from words to deeds. See if they can meet the deadlines with the Equinox EV and Blazer EV, which knowing American customers, who love SUVs and crossovers, can sell like hotcakes, as long as GM can keep up with demand. And being positioned at price below the Tesla Model Y, they have a guaranteed audience.
