In the race to build the most affordable and mass-adopted EV, Chevy scores extra points with the 2024 Chevy Equinox EV. The Bow Tie brand promises 300 miles of range and a fast-charging capability that should soothe even the most anxious driver’s range anxiety. The all-new Equinox EV borrows its muscular styling from the go-fast Camaro, leaning in the direction of its stylish sibling, the Blazer, and away from its more egg-shaped predecessors. It’s good news for US buyers who’ve grown tired of ubiquitous vanilla SUV styling.
The Equinox first joined Chevy’s lineup for the 2005 model year. A popular midsize SUV, the Equinox bridged the gap between individual buyers and families, offering a value proposition that worked for both categories of buyers. With the newest all-electric version, Chevy hopes to draw commuters and environmentally savvy buyers looking to save on daily fuel costs and enjoy a comfortable, roomy SUV with plenty of in-vehicle tech for the daily drive to and from work—all with compact-sized dimensions.
As buyers begin the transition from gas power to electric, automakers are tasked with building vehicles that don’t require lifestyle compromises. Longer ranges, mainstream design, and performance top the list of must-haves for buyers. The 2024 Chevy Equinox EV answers the call, offering commuters new to the EV category an easy switch. Features like available all-wheel drive and an all-digital dashboard add to the Equinox EV’s appeal. Here are some of the more exciting features and technologies woven into Chevy’s newest EV.
Driver-centric cabin
Two factors are critical for commuters who log lots of windshield time: ergonomics and comfort. The 2024 Chevy Traverse EV favors long-range commuters with its comfortable and spacious cabin environment. The fully digital dash puts infotainment and controls within easy reach and provides comfortable seating with optional heated and ventilated front seats and an available flat-bottom heated steering wheel.
For drivers looking to stay connected while on the go, the Equinox EV’s available 17.7-inch infotainment touchscreen provides a hub for interacting with smartphone content like Spotify playlists and audiobooks and makes it easy to stay on top of text messages and streaming entertainment. Available connected navigation offers directions with real-time traffic updates, a must-have for weekday commuters who want to avoid soul-sucking traffic jams and minimize their time behind the wheel.
Tapping into the full expression of Chevy’s in-vehicle tech and infotainment features comes via the Equinox EV 3LT trim, which bundles an available Bose premium audio system with the larger infotainment touchscreen and an optional Head-Up Display that projects critical driving data, such as current speed and navigation cues, at eye-level on the windshield. An available Rear Camera Mirror converts the rearview mirror into a live feed of what’s happening behind the vehicle, a clever addition that enhances visibility.
With the rear seats folded down, the Equinox EV offers 57 cu.ft. of cargo capability, plenty for that weekend trip to the home improvement store. Combined with an automatic liftgate with a proximity sensor that detects when you’re approaching and open-sesames almost like magic, the Equinox EV offers plenty of utility and convenience at the exact moment it’s needed—when your arms are full of groceries, say—and adds to the compact EV’s list of attractive features.
Surprisingly Peppy and Agile Handling
The Equinox EV comes in front-wheel drive or e-all-wheel drive drivetrains that offer 210 hp and 290 hp, respectively. On the low end, the driving range comes in at 250 miles, but buyers can opt for a larger battery pack to achieve up to 300 miles. Choosing all-wheel drive means sacrificing about 20 miles of range for a total range of 280 miles. DC-fast charging capability is standard across the trim range and yields about 70 miles of range in 10 minutes.
If the 2024 Equinox EV had a theme, it might be “hands-free” since the all-electric SUV offers a clever hands-free start system that powers up the Equinox EV as you approach it with your key fob. Also on offer is GM’s SuperCruise hands-free cruise control system that essentially drives itself on connected roads and highways, allowing drivers to remove their hands from the wheel and let the onboard sensors, radar, and cameras maintain a safe following distance and speed. SuperCruise can also execute lane changes without the driver’s steering input.
Like most EVs, the Equinox EV comes with one-pedal driving, a feature that lets drivers operate the vehicle with only the accelerator pedal. It seems minor, but the process of switching between the gas pedal and the brake, especially in congested city driving conditions, can add to fatigue. To slow down, simply remove your foot from the accelerator. Need to stop quickly? Take your foot all the way off the gas. For slower, more gradual speed reduction, lift your foot more gradually. As a bonus, one-pedal driving also adds some juice to the battery.
Next-Gen Safety and Charging Technology
The Equinox EV comes equipped with features designed to counter driver fatigue, along with more mainstream systems that come standard on all Equinox EV trims. Bundled in the Chevy Safety Assist suite, the six systems—Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Pedestrian Braking, Lane Keep Assist With Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Alert, Following Distance Indicator, and IntelliBeam Auto High Beams—work together to supplement attentive driving, alerting the driver to potential hazards and automating repetitive functions, like switching between low- and high-beam settings.
Upper-level Equinox EV trims also come with Automatic Rear Braking, a system that brakes for you if you get too close to a potential hazard, like a curb or another vehicle’s bumper, while backing up. This feature takes the guesswork out of backing into a parking space or navigating in and out of street parking. Similarly, Front Pedestrian Braking works at low speeds to help drivers avoid getting too close to walkers and bikers—a system that most urban drivers find invaluable.
As for charging, all Equinox EVs come with Level 1 (120-Volt) and Level 2 (240-Volt) charging capability. Using a Level 2 charging system at home will provide approximately 34 miles of range for every hour of charge time, which doesn’t sound like much, but if you remember to plug in every night, you’ll wake up to a fully charged battery. For on-the-go charging, the standard DC Fast Charging capability allows you to accumulate 70 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes, which is more than enough to stave off range anxiety.
The Equinox EV is Great for Commuters
If your weekday mornings and afternoons are consumed by your commute, what you drive becomes critically important to your quality of life. With the Equinox EV, you can say goodbye to traditional gas power and its carbon emissions. Chevy’s newest compact EV offers a stress-reducing 300-mile driving range at the high end, which rivals that of the gas-powered Equinox. Chevy estimates that the Equinox achieves a zero-to-sixty time of just six seconds, making it not only efficient but fun to drive and reliable for accelerating to highway speeds.
Inside the cabin, commuters can relax. An array of digital displays and infotainment features make it easy to connect to smartphone content so you can stay entertained during the drive. Choose a higher trim to unlock access to SuperCruise and other driver-assist technologies that mitigate fatigue and provide a second set of eyes for safer driving. All in all, the 2024 Chevy Equinox EV represents an ideal gateway to the EV lifestyle, asking drivers to sacrifice nothing. Plenty of range, an attractive, athletic exterior, and respectable performance specs top the list of the Equinox EV’s many commuter-friendly features.
