Chevrolet’s headline news at CES this year was its forthcoming Silverado EV, a truck that—initially at least—will carry a lot of lithium ion, and a six-figure price tag to reflect that. When seen together with the bombastic Hummer EV, it’s easy to get the impression that General Motors’ product planners see the first wave of Ultium battery electric vehicles as just for the well-off.
But GM’s battery platform is modular, and while it can accommodate huge 200 kWh packs to give bluff-faced pickup trucks a potential 400 miles of range, you can also design a car around a six-module battery with 50 kWh. If I had to guess, I’d say that’s the pack we’ll find in another new electric Chevrolet—the Equinox EV—which goes on sale in fall 2023.
The Equinox EV got a brief mention in GM’s CES keynote, and the company isn’t sharing any more details on the crossover right now other than that fall 2023 arrival and the fact that the model will start “around $30,000.”
Again guessing, it’s possible the Equinox EV will use GM’s new 180 kW (241 hp) Ultium Drive motor driving the front axles. The family of electric motors also come in a more powerful 225 kW (301 hp) version for front- or rear-wheel drive, as well as a 62 kW (83 hp) for all-wheel drive assist.
2023 should also see the debut of an electric Chevrolet Blazer, but the company hasn’t said anything else about that one, including how much it might cost.
