The Chevrolet Equinox EV Is the Best Tesla Alternative

In 2021, General Motors CEO Mary Barra announced the automaker’s intention to go all-electric by 2035 with its “EVerybody In” promotional campaign, but things have changed a bit since then.GM hasn’t entirely given up on that goal, but says the path to getting there will be dictated by the market, rather than forced upon it. Like many automakers, GM has been reinvesting in internal combustion engine vehicles, which will make up a large part of the model mix for years to come, especially with the Trump administration not pressing the transition the way its predecessor had.One model that was recently rejuvenated is the $29,995 Chevrolet Equinox, which was updated for 2025 with a single gas-powered engine option. But Chevrolet sells another vehicle with the Equinox name that is entirely different.The Equinox EV is also a compact SUV, but the all-electric model doesn’t share a single thing with the Equinox, other than the brand equity of the name. It was launched last year with some high-end trims, but it is now available in an entry-level LT model with a starting price of $34,995 before you subtract the $7,500 federal tax credit that it currently qualifies for. That gets you a front-wheel-drive powertrain and an impressive 319-miles of range between charges. You’ll have to spend more than $40,000 to get another electric SUV with more than 300 miles of range and the best selling Tesla Model Y starts at $46,380.The Equinox EV LT comes with cloth upholstery and manually adjustable seats. Gary GasteluThat’s not to say the Equinox EV LT is a luxury vehicle. To keep the price down, it comes with basic features like cloth upholstery and a manually adjustable drivers seat. But the cabin and cargo areas are spacious, it has two large digital displays, an excellent six-speaker audio system and an infotainment system equipped with Google apps that comes with eight years of the connectivity service required for it to operate.All-wheel drive is available and you can add options like heated and ventilated seats, a head-up display and Chevrolet’s hands-free Super Cruise highway driving system that will push the price of a loaded Equinox EV over $50,000, but i spent a week with the LT to see what the simple life is like.The front-wheel-drive Equinox EV is rated at just 220 hp, but the instant torque of the electric motor has no problem moving its hefty two-and-a-half tons. The power is delivered smoothly and silently, with the only sound being the faint pedestrian alert hum that is emitted at low speeds.Adaptive cruise control, lane departure prevention, automatic emergency braking and a blind-spot monitoring system all come standard. I’ve tested an Equinox EV with Super Cruise, which is a fantastic feature that is similar to Tesla’s Autopilot, but I could easily live without it to save thousands of dollars.The Equinox EV’s SUV body style provides a large cargo area. Gary GasteluThe Equinox EV’s quoted range holds up well in real world driving and adds to the usability of the vehicle if you are taking a long trip or can’t start every day with a full charge from home. However, another cost-saving measure is that it is only capable of charging at up to 150 kilowatts of power at a public charging station, which is less than half the maximum available today. Filling the battery to 80% takes about 40 minutes, while some competitors can do that in half the time. It’s another “you get what you pay for” proposition, but the long range goes a long way toward mitigating it.Finding a station when you need one isn’t much trouble. Google Maps can track one down within your remaining range and an adapter and app are offered that make the Equinox EV compatible with the Tesla Supercharger network, which expands the available options significantly.The Equinox EV really feels like the first electric SUV that has a shot at challenging the Model Y on the sales charts, if Chevrolet puts the effort into selling them. But the price and range also make it a serious competitor to the regular Equinox, for those willing to give an electric vehicle a shot. Maybe this EVerybody In thing still has a shot. Either way, Chevy has its bases covered.

The Chevrolet Equinox EV Is the Best Tesla Alternative

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