Chevrolet Equinox EV Enters U.S. Market Nearly 50% Above Projected "Starting" Price

Like all EVs, the Chevrolet Equinox has been coming for years. Well, a press release today says that it is finally here now. Back in the fall of 2022, when the Equinox was first announced by Chevrolet, it was widely reported by a gullible (some may say collusive) media as “Starting at around $30K.” As it turns out, sales have started about 50% higher than that at $43,295. 

“We are at a turning point where EVs will be the mainstream choice for the next generation of customers and Equinox EV will lead this charge for us,” said Mary Barra, Chair and CEO of General Motors. “With the flexibility of GM’s Ultium Platform, we are bringing to market vehicles at nearly every price point and for every purpose.

It is not uncommon for the media to be given estimates of pricing by automakers. However, the media can opt to report that or not report that as they wish. Or if they wish. Headlines announcing great low prices for electric vehicles are the foundation of many EV-advocacy organizations. Sadly, it has also become a staple of once-respected automotive media groups. 

The price announced today is for the one you can buy right now, as far as we can tell. We’ve never seen an Equinox EV in public. The press release says that the trim Chevrolet has started its sales with is the 2LT FWD trim. If you are a Chevy fan, like me, you probably recognize 2LT FWD as the second step up from base. So what’s up with starting without the base trim?

We can't say why GM has opted not to start off by supplying its most affordable version of the Equinox EV. In its press release, GM says the 1LT will “...will be available for ordering later in the year.” So, if the ordering opens in December, does that mean the U.S. market is about a year away from the 1LT being delivered to consumers? GM promises a lower cost for that trim, but since it is so far off, and since GM sort of fibbed the first time about its price and availability, why would we publish its projected price?

The top-of-the-line Equinox EV is the 3RS AWD. We priced one out with fancy paint and all the available packages and the price came to $55,535. In case you are wondering, that is about $2K more than a Tesla Model Y Performance. 

What is special about the Equinox EV? We haven’t seen one yet, so it’s hard to say, but one thing we noticed in the specs is GM’s hands-free Supercruise. We tried this technology a couple of years ago in the Chevy Bolt EUV and it was really great. We are pleased to see it is part of the new Equinox EV lineup. 

Watch Torque News for pricing and availability updates. When GM starts to deliver Equinox EVs priced under $43,295, we will be sure to report it. 
 

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John Goreham is an experienced New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work at our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ Grammarly grammar and punctuation software when proofreading. 

Image of Equinox EV courtesy of Chevrolet