Chevrolet Equinox EV is great, but the price is a shot in the foot for GM

The Chevrolet Equinox EV is proof that GM is at a higher level in the production of electric cars. Built on the new Ultium platform, which has an improved battery, the Equinox EV travels more than 440 km on a charge of energy and does so with better dynamic behavior than most Chinese cars.

The Equinox EV is a very elegant and imposing electric SUV, with bumpers with 3D details and glossy black and an LED line at the front. Being aboard one is ostentatious, even if you don’t want to, as we’ve observed from numerous interactions with pedestrians and other drivers. Even so, it is more rational than the Chevrolet Blazer EV. Cheaper too.

Well, cheaper is not the correct term. The Equinox EV costs R$440,190, a high price if we consider that it is imported from Mexico, a country with which Brazil has free trade, without import tariffs. In Mexico and the United States, an Equinox equal to the EV sold in Brazil costs 967 thousand Mexican pesos and 49 thousand dollars. This would amount to around 284 thousand reais, converting currencies.

We therefore have around 156 thousand reais difference to account for extra costs in Brazil and the manufacturer’s margin. Experts interviewed by Guia do Carro said that the Equinox EV should cost between 330 thousand and 350 thousand reais. Volvo’s pair of electric cars (EX40 and EC40) cost between 330 thousand and 335 thousand reais. They are smaller, it’s a fact, but they have 408 horsepower and travel 400 km on a battery charge.

Many automakers don’t like to charge less than competitors for certain products. Question of image strategy to position the product at a higher level. But, in the case of the Brazilian EV market, which is just beginning and is of great interest to GM, this policy could – and should – be relaxed. At the end of the day, the very expensive Chevrolet Equinox EV ends up being a shot in the foot for GM itself, which has aspirations in EVs.

The car is great and has adequate power. There are 215 kW of power (292 hp) and 451 Nm of torque coming from two electric motors, one front and one rear, 107 kW each. The 85 kWh battery allows a range of 443 km (PBEV) to 459 km (EPA-USA). In practice, driving at highway speeds, we reached 6.4 km/kWh in some sections, which would give an unrealistic range of 544 km.

In any case, you can travel from Guarujá (SP) to Londrina (PR), a route of 638 km, making just one stop for loading. The fast charging power is great: 150 kW direct current (DC). Slow charging (AC) power is a good 22 kW. It slides with intelligent AWD, which is another component added to the Ultium platform, which made GM more competitive in EVs.

One detail that I really liked are the tire sizes. Finally, a premium SUV arrived in the country with “rubbery” tires, with a medium profile (245/55 R19), which should be the minimum for all models in this category. The electric Equinox is stripped of sports paradigms, which makes its use more practical and comfortable compared to the Blazer EV.

The car is quite large, bigger than the combustion Equinox in length, width and wheelbase. The Equinox EV is 4,840mm, 1,954mm, 1,646mm and 2,954mm. It loses, however, in the trunk, which has 441 liters in the EV and 469 liters in the 1.5 Turbo model. The ground clearance is just 162 mm – we shouldn’t even call it an SUV, as the small entry angle (17.8 degrees) doesn’t prevent the car from scraping the front on some depressions (speed bumps in reverse).

I didn’t want to hear from General Motors about the price before publishing this review because any argument could inhibit my feeling that the Chevrolet Equinox EV is too expensive – and I believe that of many consumers as well. But the space is open if GM wants to justify the price.

I will never condemn a product based on its price. Each automobile is what it is; price is a strategic decision. In this case, I regret that the price may make this great EV unaffordable, when the time is to popularize electric vehicles. Only 17 units have been registered so far.

Behind the wheel, the Chevrolet Equinox delivers strong acceleration (0 to 100 in 5.8 seconds), good speed (maximum 184 km/h), very good driving position, great grip steering wheel with light but precise steering, good stability in curves, good handling with independent suspensions, adjusted for comfort and… an external noise warning pedestrians that invades the cabin too much and becomes annoying at low speeds.

11-inch configurable instrument panel, 17.7-inch MyLink multimedia, storage space and interior space are very good, as is the air conditioning and cabin finish. Life on board is good.

Since the car is connected to Google Built-in, I had difficulty accessing my music when using the native Google Maps. The system asks for authorization, but it is slow and the interface is very complicated, at least for me.

Overall, I really liked the Chevrolet Equinox EV. Too bad I can’t recommend it to many people. Whoever buys GM’s electric SUV will have a refined car, with great autonomy and zero carbon emissions.

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