Chevrolet Surprises Blazer EV Pre-Order Holders With a Price Increase

Last year, Chevrolet said the Blazer EV would have a starting cost of around $45,000 in the 1LT trim, $48,000 as a 2LT model, and $52,000 as an RS unit. The fully loaded SS version would be priced around $66,000.

Fast forward to today, and customers finally see what they have to deal with in terms of costs. Someone who wanted to order a Blazer EV 2LT eAWD realized the price before tax was a little over $58,000 - that's $10,000 more than anticipated. Others joined in and said they received the same email and were surprised to see the new values.

Fortunately, the all-electric crossover SUV is eligible for the full EV tax credit. Assuming a sales tax rate of 7.5% and the buyer is eligible for the federal perk, the final price the customer must pay without any dealer markup and before any other local incentives is $54,850. That's still quite a departure from the initial estimated price of $48,000.

Looking at the manufacturer's website, we find out that the 1LT trim has been discontinued, and the MSRPs are as follows:

• Blazer EV 2LT - $56,715;
• Blazer EV RS – 60,215;
• Blazer EV SS – no price yet.

When we first reported these changes, General Motors reached out and explained that the new figures were higher because they reflected two-motor all-wheel-drive units. The first estimates were available for the single-motor front-wheel-drive models.

Chevrolet has a very tough mission ahead of it. It must convince customers that the new prices are worth it. GM CEO Mary Barra stated that a $40,000 EV couldn't be profitable, but Tesla's entry-level Model Y, which is an all-wheel-drive unit, has a starting price of $47,740. Add the EV tax credit, and that makes its cost drop to $40,240.

Even the Model Y Long Range is cheaper than the Blazer EV 2LT. There's a $6,225 difference between them. Even more problematic for Chevy is that Tesla will deliver its crossover SUV in a couple of weeks at the most, whereas getting the Blazer EV might take a couple of months to end up in your driveway if you place an order today. And that, by the way, is impossible if you're not among the pre-order holders.

It gets even worse! The Model Y Performance – a car that goes from zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds – is still cheaper than the most accessible Blazer EV.

But let's look at another electric crossover that's not being delivered yet – the Fisker Ocean Ultra. Buying that model means the customer is looking at an MSRP of $49,999. The Sport trim is even cheaper – it costs $37,499!

However, it's worth noting that Fisker makes the Ocean in Austria. Early buyers were able to secure the EV tax credit. That's impossible now because of a rule saying the EV must be assembled in North America to be eligible for the federal incentive.

Finally, Chevrolet should rush to launch cheaper versions of the made-in-Mexico Blazer EV. Even if they're just front-wheel drive variants, competing with Tesla on price might help the brand obtain new customers and prove that it didn't offer initial estimates just to attract attention.

I received the email to convert my Blazer EV preorder into an order… uhhhhh. I thought this car was supposed to be $40k? pic.twitter.com/083WOIrQFu

— Aaron Fisher (@aaronmfisher) September 7, 2023