The 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV will not start around $30,000 as GM promised in January 2022 when it first announced the electric crossover.
The automaker is opening order books for the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV this week, revealing that prices range from $34,995 to $52,395, with the more expensive variants launching first. The new prices were reported by Car and Driver and Autoblog, and we asked GM for confirmation and more details. The automaker confirmed the pricing and offered equipment details.
The big news is obviously the revised pricing of the base 1LT trim of the Equinox EV, which will start at "about $34,995," including destination. The $5,000 premium is certainly not small, and it will definitely disappoint people who signed the petition asking GM to not turn its back on affordable EVs and bring the $30,000 Equinox EV to market.
Still, $35,000 is not all that bad for a compact electric crossover, especially since the Equinox EV will be eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit that will lower the price to about $27,500. That said, things may still change until the start of deliveries, which is expected sometime in the 2024 calendar year.
This means the Equinox EV 1LT could launch either for the 2024 or 2025 model year – General Motors hasn't made that clear. The automaker did say that the Equinox EV 1LT with front-wheel drive will have a manufacturer-estimated range of 319 miles, which is a welcome bonus compared to the initial 300-mile estimate.
Gallery: 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV
Also worth noting is the fact that the first Equinox EV models you can buy start around $50,000 – and even more expensive variants are likely to follow. Customers will be able to get the launch versions in early 2024, and those are two different 2RS trims starting at $48,995 for the 210-horsepower front-wheel-drive 2RS and $52,395 for the 290-hp all-wheel-drive 2RS.
The big price premiums over the base 1LT trim suggest these are well-equipped models, and GM has confirmed that both get standard features including a 17.7-inch touchscreen with Google Built-In, multi-color ambient lighting, wireless smartphone charging, Black Evotex interior with red accents, heated front seats and steering wheel, a power tailgate, and 21-inch black wheels, among other things.
On the tech front, the Equinox EV 2RS trims also get Super Cruise and Adaptive Cruise Control, Chevy Safety Assist, HD Surround Vision Camera, Safety Alert Seat, and Reverse Auto Braking. Finally, EV-specific features include One-Pedal Driving and Regen on Demand, a dual-level charge cord, towing wiring provisions, as well as 11.5kW AC charging capability and 150kW DC fast charging capability.
Previously, Chevrolet also showed 3LT and 3RS trims that suggest even more expensive Equinox EV models are on the way.
Learn more about the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV
Well, at least there's good news regarding the range, as front-wheel-drive variants of the Equinox EV are now said to offer a claimed range of up to 319 miles, an additional 19 miles compared to the previous maximum range estimate. Regardless of the trim level, Chevy will offer only one battery pack across the board.
Chevrolet will start taking orders for the 2024 Equinox EV in the first week of November, but a specific date for the start of deliveries isn't available yet. However, Chevy says that deliveries of the entire lineup will start in the 2024 calendar year.
The day Chevrolet starts taking orders will likely be a busy one as the automaker says 200,000 people have made reservations for the Equinox EV so far.
Last week, GM CEO Mary Barra said on the company's Q3 2023 earnings call that the start of production for the Equinox EV had been delayed by "a few months." While she didn't say when exactly production would start, it would appear that "early 2024" is the new timeline, according to the new information released yesterday. Originally, GM planned to start producing the Equinox EV in Q4 2023.
GM also said on the latest earnings call that it is reworking its EV strategy in North America, ditching a goal to build 400,000 electric vehicles from 2022 through mid-2024 as it focuses on matching production to demand to avoid deep discounts. The carmaker also stated that it is slowing the launch of several EV models – including the Chevrolet Equinox EV, Chevrolet Silverado EV RST, and GMC Sierra EV – and cutting back on EV product spending.
Source: Chevrolet, via Car and Driver, via Autoblog