• by Tanya Gazdik , Staff Writer, December 2, 2024

Chevrolet Equinox EV

Gas-powered Chevrolet Equinox 

Never mind that they share the same name; there’s more different than the same when comparing the Chevrolet Equinox electric vehicle to the internal combustion engine.

Chevrolet kept the "Equinox" name on its new electric crossover SUV because it is one of its most popular and recognizable names.  The thinking is, it will allow the company to leverage the brand recognition and positive associations with the Equinox name to sell its new EV, while also offering familiar features and functionality. 

While I understand the thinking behind the decision, I would counter argue that the names may be confusing more consumers than the company thinks.

When I told an acquaintance I was test driving the Equinox EV, he immediately commented on how different it was from previous versions of the vehicle. The problem is, there haven’t been any previous iterations of the EV. This is its first production year. He was thinking of the gas-powered version, which first went on sale in 2005. 

Here’s where they are similar: They are both affordable compact crossovers. The EV version starts at $43,295, while the gas-powered version starts at $29,995. Under current requirements, the EV qualifies for the $7,500 federal tax credit, bringing the starting price down to $35,795.

But if you take a look inside, you will see a much bigger screen in the EV, along with available Super Cruise hands-free driving technology, including automatic lane changing. The ICE Equinox does not offer Super Cruise, but it does feature Apple CarPlay, which the EV does not. 

I am a huge fan of Super Cruise, having tried it in several other General Motors vehicles. However, I’m also a fan of Apple CarPlay, so I’ve been frustrated this week with the inability of my phone to interact with the car, partially when it comes to receiving and responding to text messages via text. GM argues that the its native navigation system is superior to Apple CarPlay when it comes to directing to EV chargers. But that doesn't make up for the other parts of connectivity afforded by the Apple system. I think GM screwed this up. 

The current version of Super Cruise allows drivers to turn it off or limit its capabilities, such as the automatic lane changing. I guess it’s good to have choices, but I don’t see the point in turning off the automatic lane changing. You can override the vehicle’s indication it is going to change lanes by simply tapping on the turn signal in the opposite direction to cancel it. I haven’t felt the need to do that much. Having the vehicle look for openings and change lanes automatically reduces driver stress and fatigue and removes the possibility of driver error. 

Rapidly declining range in the cold is nothing new, but it's definitely still an issue. I drove 98 miles from Lansing to Detroit in about 22 degrees and used 180 miles of range. The battery holds 230 miles of range at 80% full — which is the most that it’s reasonable to charge to at a public charger. It took 40 minutes to go from a 20% to 80% charge. 

Since I haven’t yet installed a level 2 charger at home, I have charged at public chargers several times this week. During one charging session, I asked the guy with the GMC Hummer EV at the next charger how his experience of owning a GM EV was going.

He said he lived in a condo, so putting in a home charger was not a possibility, and his office did not yet offer charging -- and he was getting tired of public charging. He recently took a road trip from Detroit to Alabama, and charging added four hours to the already long drive. 

While I see lots of reasons to buy and love electric vehicles, it’s not something  consumers should enter into lightly. Which is probably why General Motors plans to continue offering both gas and electric versions of the Equinox for the foreseeable future. 

Chevrolet Equinox EV

Gas-powered Chevrolet Equinox