In this world, there are cars you drive on the road that are considered street-legal. Then there are wacky takes on automobiles in the form of entertaining activities like bumper cars and go-karting. The difference between driving a regular car and getting behind the wheel of a bumper car or go-kart is that the latter two are fun, while driving your current car may have gotten a bit stale. Even in a perfect world, there’s a reason the concept behind bumper cars hasn’t left the carnival or theme park, but what about go-karts? The concept of go-karts is not like it used to be – modern-day go-karts run on batteries and motors and get rid of the traditional automatic transmission in favor of smooth, continuous acceleration.
You might be confused about where I’m going with this. Let me explain: the swift acceleration and electric nature of electric vehicles (EVs) like the 2024 Chevy Equinox EV are comparable to the strongest go-kart that doesn’t exist. I believe there are a couple of advantages to owning an EV like the Equinox EV, including, but not limited to, reinvigorating your love for driving with a different and smoother feel, and of course, they’re fun to drive.
Most importantly, you’ll save money and never have to visit gas stations again unless you’re looking for a cheap hot dog and a lottery ticket. Chevy is still newer to the EV scene than some other companies, but the Equinox EV is not alone – Chevy’s other EVs include the Bolt EV and EUV, Silverado EV, and Blazer EV. Does that deter it from being the go-to EV SUV you should purchase if you’re looking for a daily commuter? I’ll be answering all of these questions and more, so keep reading to find out everything.
The Shifting Electric Narrative
For the first decade of consumer interest and sales, it seemed that hybrids and EVs had a steep hill to climb, not helped by far superior gasoline-powered powertrains that did everything better for years. What also didn’t help were hybrids and EVs being labeled as the laughing stocks of the industry, along with anyone brave enough to be one of the early adopters of this technology. I have noticed that in more areas, driving an EV or a hybrid doesn’t make you the butt-end of a joke but makes you a smart shopper aiming to save money in an ever-shifting economy where gas prices are never guaranteed to stay low forever.
There were a couple of reasons why electric vehicles became more widely appreciated: performance got better, and more businesses have begun catering to EV drivers. What does this mean? Whether installed outside of an establishment like a movie theater, shopping mall, casino, grocery store, gas station, and more, it’s becoming more likely that the parking lot you’ll be driving to and parking at will let you plug in your car and replenish your battery while you’re shopping, watching a movie, eating dinner, etc.
Won’t charging the battery take a long time? It depends on the type of charger you’re using, with Level 1 chargers accessible with your average wall socket and a Level 2 DC charger available at home and can be installed by a certified Chevy technician. The chargers you find lined up with others in public are fast Level 3 DC chargers, which only take about 10 minutes to add upwards of 70 extra miles of travel range, according to Car and Driver.
With Level 3 charging, shopping, having lunch, or seeing a movie means you have a full battery, while drivers using gasoline would still have to go to the gas station and fill up before heading home. That’s one less errand for you, and while it isn’t solely a Chevy Equinox EV benefit, it’s one worth knowing about. The 2024 Chevy Equinox EV does have the benefit of accessibility to the 110,000+ charging stations available in North America through Ultium Charge 360, and if you utilize the available MyChevy app on your phone’s respective app store, you can get directions to the nearest station when you need it.
The Equinox EV Already Looks Like a Winner
When the Bolt EUV came out, the headlines were focused on how Chevy entered the realm of electric SUVs. The Bolt EUV did well and continues to do so; releasing not too long after Chevy’s first EV: the Bolt EV, and also introduced some features like Chevy Super Cruise, which has continued to see support in the following years. With that established, the Equinox EV is looking to be one of Chevy’s most efficient EVs under its belt. The Equinox EV is accompanied by the upcoming Blazer EV and Silverado EV, but the former two are SUVs like the Bolt EUV, and both are already looking to shatter expectations.
If you purchase a Bolt EUV, you have a total of 247 miles to travel with a full charge. The base model Equinox EV will surpass this with 250 miles of total range, but there’s another powertrain you can buy. There’s not much in the way of confirmed information about the size of the batteries, but Car and Driver claims the Equinox EV will output between 210 and 290 hp, depending on which configuration you buy. What I can tell you about the other powertrain is that one full charge exceeds the Bolt EUV by a large margin. Your Chevy Equinox EV can achieve up to 300 miles of travel on a full charge, which is 16.66% more than the base battery.
It’s also confirmed an eAWD variant will be optional, which still allows this electric SUV to travel 280 miles before its next charge. Given the 2023 Bolt EUV outputs 200 hp thanks to its 65 kWh battery with a 247-mile range, the battery inside the base Equinox EV may be smaller than 70 kWh. As for the stronger engine, it very well could be nearly 100 kWh in size as the 200 kWh battery in the Silverado EV outputs 510 hp – albeit, the Silverado EV is a pickup truck with two motors instead of the Equinox EV’s one motor. If you’re a commuter, you aren’t going to need two motors or a pickup truck, nor will you need 300 hp or more, so take it with a grain of salt.
There’s Plenty of Innovation in the Cabin Too
When driving an EV, you may be surprised to learn how quiet they operate, so be ready to take part in pure silence and bliss – you can turn on the radio if you’d prefer. Speaking of radio, the Equinox EV boggles my mind with its standard 11-inch driver information display and 11-inch infotainment center, the latter of which can be replaced with a colossal 17.7-inch infotainment center. If you buy the 2024 Equinox EV, you’ll have a modern-looking infotainment center that truly outshines the competition.
Regardless of the soundscape you surround yourself in, it’s true that sitting inside the Equinox EV will be incredibly comfortable. The base model has a manually adjustable seat, but if you buy the 2LT or above, you get an 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat instead. This is ideal for a commuter, and you won’t need much more than that – although lumbar support would likely be appreciated by some of you out there. If you’re a commuter, you should consider a power-adjustable seat – you’ll be glad you did, trust me. There’s also a 6-way power-adjustable passenger seat that comes with the 3LT. There’s no word on the materials on offer yet, but I imagine cloth and genuine leather will be the most popular candidates.
The Future Is Here With the 2024 Chevy Equinox EV
This is a bit of a stretch, but given what we’ve seen with Chevy’s electric vehicles, what can we expect the market to look like in five years, and is this a good time to jump in? There’s no denying the automotive industry will take an even more aggressive turn towards fully electric vehicles, and the uphill battle will be convincing drivers it’s what they should consider. Five years from now, you can expect to see many more EVs, and I reckon we’ll see ones that we’re seeing coming out of the woodwork in the coming months, like the Silverado EV and Equinox EV.
Will the Bolt EV and EUV stick around? It’s likely, but only time will tell. I imagine Chevy and Ford are both pushing electric pickup trucks hard for the coming years, even if it means selling at a loss until the public picks up what they’re putting down. Regardless, if you’re a commuter drawn to electric powertrains and want one sooner than later, you’ll find now is a decent time to jump in.
