The all-wheel-drive version is more peppy, but has less range.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
The 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV is one of the cheapest electric compact SUVs on the market. Starting at $48,199 (plus freight and pre-delivery inspection), the EV has another strong selling point – more than 500 kilometres of electric range, which is a lot compared to EVs at a similar price point. The Hyundai Kona EV costs less at $46,399 (plus freight and pre-inspection delivery), but has 420 kilometres of range and the Kia Niro EV costs $45,595 (plus freight and pre-inspection delivery), but has 407 kilometres of range. Chevrolet executives are banking the Equinox’s price, especially with eligible EV rebates, will help grow market share in Canada and the U.S.
“It’s an exciting time in the auto industry, it’s a challenging time in the auto industry,” said Rory Harvey, president of global markets at General Motors. “The EV market, from a retail perspective, continues to grow significantly in Canada. In Canada, BEVs were still up in [the first quarter] year-over-year. In [the first quarter] in the U.S., it did slow down. It was still up but it wasn’t up anywhere as significant as Canada. But I’m convinced it’s going to continue to grow and third-party independents think it’s going to grow this year both in the U.S. and Canada.”
The new Equinox EV isn’t built on the same platform as its gas-powered Equinox sibling. It’s designed and developed from the ground up as an EV. It’s available in two trims – LT and RS, with either front-wheel or all-wheel-drive configurations. At its heart is GM’s Ultium battery pack, a flexible architecture that is found in all new GM EVs like the Cadillac Lyriq and Chevrolet Silverado. In the Equinox, it’s a single battery pack with an 85-kilowatt-hour battery and an 11.5-kilowatt onboard charge unit. The FWD produces 213 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque and will go zero to 96 kilometres an hour in eight seconds; while the AWD version has 288 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque and cuts the zero to 96 runtime to six seconds. But the FWD has more range – 513 kilometres on a full charge versus 459 in the AWD.
The 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV has a range of 513 kilometres for the front-wheel-drive version and 459 kilometres when equipped with all-wheel drive.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Our drive route combined residential streets and country backroads with highway stretches from Detroit to Auburn Hills and back in the FWD Equinox. The all-wheel-drive model was available to test on shorter drive loops around Detroit. I preferred the ride, handling and acceleration of the AWD version; it was faster and the steering felt tighter compared to the FWD version. While both were quick off the line, after driving a while and nailing the throttle, the FWD model was slow to react, which was never the case with the AWD trim.
Both models have a one-pedal driving feature, which allows for regenerative braking and deceleration capabilities so you can lift your foot off the throttle and the EV automatically slows down. The feature has two settings – normal and high, but both were sensitive and jarring when engaged. On the other hand, one of the nicest features was the available SuperCruise, GM’s hands-free driving aid system which allows you to drive the vehicle hands-free on hundreds of thousands of compatible North American roads. The driver doesn’t touch the steering wheel or pedal. When engaged, the EV stays centred in the lane, a safe distance from the vehicle ahead and changes lanes seamlessly – engaging the turn signal when it’s safe to switch lanes. Some of the coding for the technology comes from GM’s Canadian Technical Centres in Ontario.
“There’s a little bit of Canada in every GM vehicle that’s produced in North America. If you go back to the research and design, the software, the coding and some of the testing, Canada plays an important part in terms of making North American products for us,” said Harvey.
The 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV has a 17.7-inch centre infotainment screen and an 11-inch screen for the driver.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Unfortunately other technology is noticeably absent such as a wireless phone charger, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which is replaced with Google built-in and Amazon Alexa. While Amazon Alexa seems a bit redundant, the Google system with its maps and the personal assistant worked well at finding locations quickly and easily. When it came to the range – we started with 502 kilometres in the FWD model and after driving about 120 kilometres, the range dropped 143 kilometres so it’s fairly accurate to distance travelled.
The 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV will arrive at Canadian dealerships shortly.
Tech specs
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV
- Base price / as tested: $48,199 (plus $2,500 freight and pre-delivery inspection is dependent on dealer)
- Motor / battery: single motor, 85-kilowatt-hour
- Horsepower / torque: FWD – 213 / 236; AWD – 288/333
- Energy consumption (NRCan ratings, Le/100 km) / charging capacity: NA
- Curb weight: NA
- Range: FWD – 513; AWD – 459
- Alternatives: Hyundai Kona EV, Kia Niro EV, Volkswagen ID. 4, Nissan Ariya, Tesla Model Y, Toyota bZ4X
Looks
Well-proportioned with attractive sleek lines. Walk up to the EV and you’re greeted by a front and rear lighting animation show. Some cool colours include blue with a white roof. But the colour combination on my AWD tester – a bright red exterior with a blue interior – work well separately, but together clashes.
Interior
Some items feel cheap and plasticky inside. But at least there’s a physical volume knob and traditional climate controls. It also comes with a 17.7-inch diagonal infotainment screen and an 11-inch screen for the driver. There’s no start-stop push button. Instead, sit in the driver’s seat with the key fob nearby and the vehicle comes to life. Touch the brake pedal and tap down on the steering wheel stalk to engage drive.
Performance
A nice, long driving range that’s fairly accurate to driving distance travelled. AWD has more guts and power than the FWD model.
Technology
It comes with a number of standard safety features such as rear pedestrian detection and lane keep assist with lane departure warning, but SuperCruise costs extra.
The infotainment system also comes with three years Google maps and voice assistant with route planning and battery charge preconditioning.
Cargo
Drop the rear seats and the maximum cargo space is 1,614 litres.
When the seats are folded flat there is 1,614 litres of space.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
The Verdict
A large battery with a long electric driving range and a respectable price tag makes the Equinox EV a competitive player in the compact SUV segment.
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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