As the race to release the first-ever street-legal driverless vehicle intensifies, engineers at the Bow Tie brand give us a sneak peek of their progress with the release of the all-new 2024 Chevy Equinox EV. Technology abounds in Chevy’s reimagined compact SUV, and not just with the fully electric powertrain, which incorporates General Motors’ Ultium Platform to provide 290-hp and 300 miles of range.
Within the minimalist cabin, a dashboard full of digital tech awaits. Up to 17.7 inches of infotainment screen are on offer, along with a standard 11-inch Driver Information Center that’s customizable and an available Head-Up Display that keeps drivers focused on the road ahead and eliminates the need to switch their gaze over to the dash-mounted screen display while on the go. Comfort goes hand-in-hand with convenience, which could explain why Chevy offers a trio of upscale appointments: heated and ventilated front seats, heated outboard seats, and Dual-Zone Climate Control.
With the 2024 Equinox EV, Chevy hopes to tap into families and young drivers who are ready to make the transition from gas-powered engines to fully electric driving. With a low starting price of around $30,000, the automaker aims to position the Equinox EV on the more affordable end of the crowded compact SUV category. As for peace of mind, Chevy offers a robust 8-year/100,000-mile battery warranty. Typical car maintenance, like oil changes, becomes a thing of the past, contributing to lower overall ownership costs, a value-added benefit for new EV buyers. Here’s an overview of the 2024 Chevy Equinox EV’s advanced tech.
Performance and Charging Options
Within the MyChevy app, 2024 Equinox EV owners can tap into Ultium Charge 360, a charging control center that simplifies and centralizes critical EV charging tools. Drivers will easily find available charging stations along their route, thanks to GM’s partnership with major charging station operators and integrated functionality that is said to make paying at the charge point easier. To date, Ultium Charge 360 facilitates access to nearly 60,000 individual charging plugs across the US and Canada.
General Motors has also partnered with EVgo to launch Ultium-ready fast charging stations, good news for new EV owners who suffer from range anxiety. The 2024 Equinox EV, with its Ultium battery technology, taps into Chevy’s latest and most advanced charging capability, offering standard DC fast charging. Tap into a fast-charging source, and roughly 70 miles of range can be added in just 10 minutes. For buyers new to battery-powered vehicles, the Equinox EV’s estimated 300-mile range and quick charging ability will come as a relief.
Offered in front-wheel drive and eAWD, the 2024 Equinox EV gets its 210 ponies of power from a single electric motor when configured with front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive models receive a second motor on the rear axle, which increases output to 290 hp and 346 lb-ft of torque. Regenerative braking and Chevy’s One-Pedal Driving feature allow drivers to slow to a full stop without touching the brake and conserve and even add to battery life. The system harnesses the vehicle’s momentum and converts it into energy, which is stored in the battery pack.
Infotainment
All but the base 2RS Equinox EV has a 17.7-inch landscape-mounted infotainment touchscreen and an 11-inch digital gauge cluster. User experience is simplified and refined by the screens’ crisp, high-definition displays, and responsive touchscreen interfaces. Powered by the Chevy Infotainment 3 Plus operating system, the user-friendly infotainment touchscreen facilitates easy access to smartphone entertainment content, including Spotify and other music streaming apps.
Through Chevy Infotainment 3 Plus, Chevy allows drivers to create cloud-connected personalized user profiles, which store custom settings and preferences, eliminating the tedious process of saving your favorite XM stations after another driver in the household overrode them with their own. Chevy Infotainment 3 Plus also offers customizable home screens, built-in apps, and access to a selection of apps – like the Washington Post and the New York Times – that can be downloaded to suit individual driver preferences.
Connected services also get an upgrade with the MyChevy app and the 2024 Equinox EV’s simplified in-vehicle smartphone connectivity. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto eliminates the need for bulky cords and allows for automatic connectivity without prompting. Within the app, drivers can monitor battery charging levels and use their smartphones like a key fob. Door lock/unlock, remote start, and vehicle locator tools are all integrated into the MyChevy app for added convenience.
Hands-Free Driving Convenience
Speaking of convenience, The Equinox EV embraces semi-autonomous driving technology, the apex of which is Super Cruise, a hands-free driving option that works on compatible roads and highways. Engage the cruise control system, select Super Cruise, and relax with your hands off the wheel as the system keeps your Equinox EV centered in its lane and speeds up or slows down in response to traffic conditions. The newest Super Cruise system can also safely change lanes for you.
For those who aren’t mentally prepared to let their cars do the driving, the Equinox EV’s available Adaptive Cruise Control system still comes in handy, eliminating the need to tap the brakes or manually adjust speed settings after the cruise control system is engaged. Adaptive Cruise Control will do the work for you, leaving just the steering in your hands. Combined with a Lane Departure Warning, which informs you with an audible alarm when you drift out of your lane, the automated cruise control system keeps you safer at highway speeds.
Other handy driver-assist technologies woven into the Equinox EV include an available Head-Up Display, which takes some getting used to but projects critical driving data, such as current speed and navigation cues, onto the windshield at eye-line. According to the US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, head-up displays are shown to “improve safety by reducing the time required to view driving-related information,” which makes sense, especially when trying to navigate using turn-by-turn instructions.
Join the All-Electric Revolution Today
At the heart of the all-new, all-electric 2024 Chevy Equinox EV lies its most advanced technology – the Ultium Platform. The compact SUV’s battery architecture relies on stackable, flat battery modules and a series of companion technologies, such as an energy recovery system that uses heat generated by the vehicle’s components to power the climate control system, which preserves battery power and extends driving range. The Ultium Platform is also designed for rapid charging.
All Equinox EV trims come with walk-up lighting that illuminates the front and rear of the vehicle as you approach it. The same technology converts the liftgate to a “presence-based” version that opens when it senses the key fob is near the rear of the vehicle. Personalized ambient lighting is also found in the cabin, a feature that at first sounds a bit over the top, that is, until you slide behind the wheel after a stressful day of work and dial in a restful red or orange hue.
With hands-free driving on more than 300,000 miles of roads, fast-charging capability, and emerging app-based connectivity and convenience functionality, the newest Chevy EV is poised to make the transition from gas power to all-electric propulsion a whole lot easier and less anxiety-provoking. With tons of digital hi-def screens and wireless smartphone connectivity, Chevy’s compact Equinox EV blurs the line between smartphone, laptop, and vehicle, facilitating a seamless transition from home to work and the commute in between.
