The main hurdle to the popularization of electric vehicles is their cost. Chevy’s Equinox EV is working to make this barrier more accessible.
To comprehend why the Chevy Equinox EV was named the inaugural Breakthrough Vehicle of the Year by InsideEVs, it’s first necessary to grasp the meaning behind this prestigious award.
We are all too aware of the obstacles that make achieving this goal daunting. Electric vehicles do not yet offer all the features that consumers require. They are often confusing to operate and, in many instances, have not reached a polished level of user experience. They still heavily rely on an unstable and complex system of charging networks. Most concerning, they are still prohibitively expensive. So, we created these awards to acknowledge the products that are helping to break down the barriers between us and the electric vehicle future we envision. The electric vehicle market requires a trailblazer.
This is the best one we’ve got.
The 2024 Breakthrough Awards
- The Annual Breakthrough Awards: Highlighting the Year’s Most Outstanding Electric Vehicles and New Ideas.
- The Kia EV9: Not Just Doing What Tesla and Rivian Can Do.
- The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Is a Thrill Ride, But That’s Just the Beginning
- The 2025 Lucid Air Pure Emerges as the Most Competitive Electric Vehicle Available Today
- The Rivian R1S Is Getting Better, But Still Working Out the Kinks.
- The Wreckage of the Tesla Cybertruck was a Fatal Blow to Its Likelihood of Success
The Metric That Matters
The tax credit controversies and Tesla’s rapid rise to a dominant position have not altered consumers’ fundamental requirements. They still seek an electric vehicle with a long range that is affordable and appealing enough to make it desirable.
The Equinox EV is that car.
It costs twenty-thousand dollars less than the average new car.
It not only offers lower pricing, but also lower gas prices compared to its competitors. The internal-combustion Equinox starts at $29,995. The Toyota RAV4 begins at $30,245. Meanwhile, a new Honda CR-V starts at $31,450.
The magnitude of General Motors’ accomplishment cannot be overstated. For the first time in history, it is more cost-effective to acquire an electric vehicle than a gas-powered vehicle in one of the automobile market’s most critical sectors.
“The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced of the massive scale of this breakthrough,” InsideEVs Senior Reporter Tim Levin said. “Apart from those vehicles with certain limitations [such as the Chevy Bolt and Nissan Leaf], the electric vehicle market has traditionally catered to a more affluent clientele. For years and years, advocates, industry experts and car buyers (including myself) have been seeking attractive electric options that don’t have a hefty price tag. With the Equinox EV, Chevy has succeeded in filling this void.”
Even in its FWD form, the Equinox EV remains highly appealing.
The base price is for a stripped-down version, similar to what I mentioned earlier. If you choose an all-wheel-drive model with all the premium features, be prepared to pay around $35,000 after tax credits, and even more with the addition of options. Nevertheless, across its various trims, the Equinox EV is priced similarly to, or in some cases, lower than its gas-powered competitors.
A Better Experience
It is remarkable how effortlessly the general public in the United States can be persuaded to opt for electric options once the primary obstacle is overcome.
The 213-horsepower front-wheel-driven version is more potent and can reach 60 miles per hour in a shorter time than its gasoline-powered competitors. However, our staff, accustomed to electric vehicles, found it sluggish and lacking in responsiveness. Choosing all-wheel drive, likely the preference for many American buyers, increases performance to 288 hp and 346 lb-ft of torque, allowing it to accelerate from 0-60 in under six seconds, possibly making it the quickest compact crossover owned by many drivers.
The ideal charging station will never be out of reach. A Tesla NACS-enabled model is also in the works.
The Equinox EV will also plan your route for you, taking most of the effort out of planning road trips yourself. Unfortunately, GM’s built-in route planner doesn’t appear to utilize Tesla Superchargers yet—at least, not in my personally leased Blazer EV, but hopefully that will be available through an over-the-air update in the future. On a more positive note, its driver assistance features are even better. The Equinox EV offers Super Cruise, GM’s hands-off, eyes-on highway assistant, and it’s still our top-rated driver assistance system available for purchase. It’s very confident, reliable and safe, with worry-free hands-off driving and automatic lane changes. Our editors couldn’t stop praising it.
2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV RS All-Wheel Drive
In addition, the Equinox comes equipped with built-in Google Maps and a comprehensive software suite for its standard 17.7-inch display. You can also download third-party apps for route planning, music, podcasts, and charging from the Google Play Store, providing a consolation for those who are dissatisfied with GM’s decision to drop support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
After an adjustment period, I don’t think the majority of customers will even notice it’s missing in their Equinox. Comfortable and stylish EVs with cutting-edge, homegrown software are the way of the future. The Equinox EV is the most affordable gateway to this exclusive club.
Leading on Up High, Yet Technology Falls Short
Cost-effective is not always synonymous with excellent, and that certainly holds true in this case. We are highly impressed with the Google-powered operating system, but the overall end-to-end software experience falls short.
Tesla’s route-planning and software capabilities are far superior to those of Chevy. Its app ranks among the world’s best, in contrast to the MyChevrolet app, which is often slow and unresponsive, rendering it virtually useless to me. Furthermore, despite General Motors making electric vehicles with long ranges more accessible, the company prioritizes battery size over efficiency to achieve this goal.
The 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV RS All-Wheel Drive
Buyers won’t be concerned, as the range and price trump efficiency in the market. However, it’s worth noting that GM doesn’t have a technology lead in this critical metric, which will ultimately enable longer range and lower costs over time.
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In battery chemistry and thermal management, at least not in the Equinox EV. The Equinox EV’s battery pack is a 400-volt-class system, but its true nominal voltage is actually 288 volts, lower than that when it’s at low battery levels, notably around 250 volts. Some may find this technical, but here’s why it’s worth noting: When charging at a rate of 150 kW, many standard 150-kW charging stations do not provide enough current to fully power the battery at its lower voltage for a rate of 150 kW.
It should complete the task in about 40 minutes.
You’ll be able to find other more efficient and faster-charging Electric Vehicles available in the market. However, none offer this level of value at such an affordable price.
That’s what’s lagging behind, and indicative of what Contributing Editor Abigail Bassett says is GM’s original mistake.
“GM’s innovative products are continually being hindered by the company’s bureaucratic focus on cost-cutting, as demonstrated by the Equinox. We experienced rattles in both the Equinox EV test cars, and it happened to me as well in my Blazer EV, suggesting that GM is prioritizing cost savings over quality.”
A Winning Compromise
“There’s a reason we need accountants who focus on reducing costs to offer budget-friendly options. While the Equinox EV is still a compromise, it’s a vastly more attractive one than its predecessors. Previously, affordable EVs like the Nissan Leaf had limited range, poor heat management systems, and inadequate fast-charging capabilities. The Bolt felt like an economy car and couldn’t charge quickly enough for extended road trips. In contrast, the Equinox EV has made some sacrifices to deliver the features Americans expect at a price they can afford.”
We’re not making this statement as a casual compliment, but rather we firmly believe that the Equinox EV will motivate many people to opt for electric vehicles, primarily because it has already garnered enthusiastic approval from our team.
“I made a personal purchase of a 2024 Equinox EV 2RS and have taken two close friends to the dealer for a test drive. They both ended up buying the Equinox EV to take home,” Contributing Editor and host of YouTube’s State of Charge Tom Molougney said.
Over the Equinox, Williams still says he’s considering leasing the Chevy. He would have chosen it himself, but the deal he received on the Blazer EV was even more affordable than the Equinox EV then, and his off-road excursions require the Blazer’s greater ground clearance.
We all agree that it’s not the most impressive electric vehicle available for purchase. It doesn’t offer the most cutting-edge technology, nor is it the most striking. Although it has a sleek appearance, it’s not as alluring as some other options. Still, relying solely on advertising or appealing to Americans through ideology is insufficient.
To be a winner, electric vehicles (EVs) require a financial argument. They’re already superior on the road. They’re already cool. They’re already nice. They just need to be more affordable. Its reliance on the tax credit means the Equinox EV isn’t yet at a fully attainable price point. However, it’s the closest an automaker has come to delivering the revolutionary experience you desire at a price you can afford.
Editor-in-Chief Patrick George summed it up well: “To put it in simple terms, the Equinox EV is exactly what the market requires right now.”
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| 2025 Chevy Equinox | |
| Base Price | $34,995 (approximately $27,495 after tax credit) |
| Battery | 85-kWh usable lithium-ion |
| EV Range | Estimated driving ranges are 319 miles with front-wheel drive and 285 miles with all-wheel drive. |
| Output | Engine power output: 220 horsepower (front-wheel drive), 300 horsepower (all-wheel drive). |
| Maximum torque | This vehicle has approximately 243 pounds-feet of torque when the front wheels are powered. It has about 355 pounds-feet of torque when the all four wheels are powered. |
| Cargo Volume | 72.8 cubic feet (seats up), 132.7 cubic feet (rear seats folded) |
| Drive Type | FWD or AWD |
