Originally scheduled to enter production before year's end, the first-ever Chevrolet Equinox EV has been confirmed to start rolling off the assembly line in the first quarter of 2024. What assembly line? Similar to the Blazer EV, the smaller zero-emission crossover will come from the Ramos Arizpe plant.
Increasingly more American manufacturers favor Mexico due to the USMCA, which replaces the NAFTA free trade agreement. In addition to the relatively straightforward movement of goods between Mexico and the United States, cheap labor makes the United Mexican States extremely attractive to everyone from GM to FCA and the Ford Motor Company.
FCA, which is known as Stellantis after the cross-border merger with Groupe PSA, produces the third-gen HEMI (including the Hellcat supercharged V8) at the Saltillo engine plant. As for the Ford Motor Company, three Mexican-built products come to mind: Mustang Mach-E (Cuautitlan Stamping and Assembly Plant), Bronco Sport, and Maverick (both from Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant).
Turning our attention back to the 2024 model year Chevrolet Equinox EV, the compact-sized crossover will be GM's most affordable BEV after the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV stock will run dry. Most affordable BEV in the United States, that is, for GM sells a number of affordable China-specific EVs in the Middle Kingdom.
The Buick Velite 6, for example, is priced at 112,800 yuan or merely 15,725 dollars at current exchange rates. Not bad, huh? By comparison, the Mexico-built Equinox EV for the United States of America carries a starting price of $34,995 in 1LT specification.
Photo: Chevrolet
As per Chevy's website, the 1LT will be available stateside in mid-2024. Only the 2RS will be available in early 2024, carrying a suggested retail price of $48,995 before taxes and optional extras. The remainder of the lineup, which is also due in mid-2024, comprises the 2LT, 3LT, and 3RS grades.
GM estimates up to 319 miles (513 kilometers) of driving range in front-drive flavor. The front-mounted electric drive unit belts out 213 horsepower and 236 pound-feet (320 Nm), whereas the optional eAWD setup is good for 288 horsepower and 346 pound-feet (470 Nm). The high-voltage battery pack is covered by an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty.
What are you getting for your moolah? In the 1LT's case, 19-inch aluminum wheels and Google Built-in for the 17.7-inch touchscreen infotainment system open the list. Highlights further include an 11-inch digital instrument cluster and manual adjustments for the front seats. The 2LT seems to be the sweetest sport in the lineup. Only the 3RS eAWD can be optioned with a 19.2-kW Level 2 charging module, whereas all other grades make do with 11.5 kW.
Equinox EV rivals include the Volkswagen ID.4 and Hyundai Ioniq 5. Listed at $38,995 and $41,650 in the United States market, the ID.4 and Ioniq 5 are further advertised with up to 291 and 303 miles (468 and 488 kilometers) of EPA-estimated range.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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