Chevy Flexes Ultium EV Platform at the 2023 New York Auto Show, Makes Statement to Rivals

But if GM wanted to succeed, they needed an all-electric platform capable of, in time, replacing every Chevy vehicle in the lineup that isn't a pickup truck one day. If you doubted Chevy had the right stuff to make it happen, their booth at the 2023 New York International Auto Show should be proof-positive that's not the case. On display prevalently at Chevy's booth this year is the all-new Ultium platform. This is the platform slated to bring General Motors into the all-electric future the industry at large is being forced to travel down.

In a sea of inoffensive-looking EV compact cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks, all future GM electric vehicles rock very similar hardware underneath. From the rugged and dependable electric Silverado to the tiny, efficient Bolt and Bolt EUV to the positively ginormous GMC Hummer EV, future GM electric vehicles will represent a degree of scalability across a range of vehicles that the brand desperately needs in order to maintain a competitive disposition against a proverbial hoard of other EV manufacturers.

It's kind of tough to pick where to start when running down the Ultium platform at the Jacob K. Javits Center this year. But we suppose the best place to start is with the small stuff. Interestingly, the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV are the two examples of Chevy EVs at the show this year still using the now-defunct GM BEV2 platform. It's doubtful anyone with a keen interest in petrolhead culture is going to be much interested in either of these two EV city cars.

But to people in urban centers who just need something to get to work and back inside of, a fat $7,500 tax credit on top of a $28,795 base price for the Bolt EUV and $27,495 for a base Bolt EV, there are certainly more foolish cars to buy at that price point. It's a smarter buy than an abused Audi, that's for sure. Moving up the range, we find two Ultium-based crossover SUVs with the potential to profoundly change their public image this upcoming generation, the Blazer and the Equinox.

That's right, the archetypal used car lot princesses in GM's lineup are going all-electric for the 2024 model year. After seeing both new models up close and personal with their radical design cues and surprising sporting credentials, anyone who's familiar with what the Equinox and Blazer used to be should tread lightly before passing judgment. We certainly wouldn't downplay a grocery-getting that sprints to 60 mph in under four seconds and a range of up to 320 miles in the case of the Blazer SS. Just expect to pay upwards of $65,995 for the top-spec SS variant.

While the electric Equinox isn't quite so powerful, a base price of $30,000 for a bottom-of-the-range 1LT model is bound to get people to be quiet about EVs being too expensive. Of course, you can never trust individual dealerships not to mess everything up. So we can only see what winds up happening on that front. Speaking of dealer markups, we bet GM dealers across North America are salivating to get their hands on the new Silverado EV.

With up to 664 horsepower and an eye-watering 780 lb-ft (1,058 Nm) of torque in its most powerful configuration, this is bound to be one of the most capable pickup trucks Chevy's ever produced. Then again, only top-spec Silverado EVs will be available when they first hit dealerships later this year. So unless you're willing to wait for a cheaper base model, you're stuck paying $74,800 and possibly far more. For a certain breed of New York City construction company owners, that's a price worth paying.

An estimated range of 400 miles isn't bad, either. Being an electrified version of GM's flagship full-sized pickup, expect the Silverado EV will likely move more units than any other on the Ultium platform. With a shared battery architecture developed in part with a subsidiary of LG behind each Ultium vehicle, there's reason to hope these new batteries aren't in-house cheap and cheerful EV solutions. Pair that with aggressive and frankly bold-looking styling on the part of the EV Silverado and Blazer SS, and you have an EV lineup that's, at least on the surface, as strong as heavyweights like Toyota, Nissan, Volkswagen, or Ford.

At least in the all-electric department, Chevrolet brought all the heavy hitters in New York City this year. It's a lineup of vehicles GM ought to be proud of. Will we eat our words in 24 months after a slew of recalls? Only time will tell.