A clear winner! The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV

Chevrolet has had some hits over the years – Corvette, Silverado for example. And some misses – Sonic, HHR and SSR come to mind. It has a clear winner in the Equinox EV.

It should not be confused with the old gas-powered Equinox, which remains on sale alongside – the two are as different as chalk and cheese.

The Equinox EV is a pure electric vehicle on its own platform beneath an eye-catching unique design. It shares nothing with the gas-powered Equinox other than name.

Consumers get lots of options with the Equinox EV

The Equinox EV is available in LT or RS trim. Both can be had with front or all-wheel drive. Both are powered by electric motors fed from a liquid-cooled 85 kWh lithium-ion battery. Both have a permanent magnet synchronous motor driving the front wheels.

All-wheel-drive versions get a second motor for the rear wheels. Prices range from $44,245 for the FWD LT to $56,925 for the AWD RS.

As pure electric vehicles go, the FWD LT is a real bargain – or at least it was until the termination of federal and some provincial rebates and other incentives totaling more than $10,000 in most cases.

As a result, EV sales have plummeted 30% in recent months after reaching nearly 15% of the Canadian new vehicle market.

‘Great job, Chevrolet!’ The Equinox EV is the most affordable electric vehicle in Canada at the moment.

None of this changes what a great job GM has done with the Equinox EV.

Thoroughly modern in everything from design to engineering, it can stand up to a head-to-head comparison with best the competition has to offer – especially in terms of price. The base LT is the least expensive pure electric vehicle for sale in this country.

Base does not mean going without.

Standard equipment includes everything from heated seats and steering wheel to 19-inch alloy wheels. Also standard: power windows, air conditioning, eight-way power driver’s seat, 28-cm driver info cluster, 37-cm infotainment screen, high definition 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, automatic parking assist, and a full slate of safety features.

Arguably more important is the ability to go more than 500 km on a single charge.

The tester was a range-topping single-motor FWD RS. It’s $49,999 base price was bloated by more than $13,000 in options and $3,200 in delivery and “dealer fees”.

Two major option groups accounted for $8,260 of that. One was the $4,560 Active Safety Package 3 which brought enhanced automatic parking assist and Super Cruise.

GM’s Super Cruise is worthy of a closer look.

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has categorized automated driving into six levels – from 0 to 5. Level 0 is no automation.

• Level 1- vehicle provide steering or acceleration/braking under certain constraints, driver fully responsible
• Level 2 – vehicles provides both steering and acceleration/braking. Driver fully responsible.
• Level 3 – also known as conditional automated driving. Vehicle handles all aspects of driving under specific constraints. Driver can take eyes off the road but must be prepared to take over when requested by the system.
• Level 4 – Vehicle handles all driving, no human intervention/involvement.
• Level 5 – Vehicle handles all driving, no human needed, no steering wheel or pedals either!

GM’s Super Cruise, as provided in the test Equinox EV is a full Level 3 system capable of hands-free driving – under certain constraints. They include speed, specific types of well-marked roads in highly-mapped areas under good weather conditions. The driver has to engage the system and take over when required.

The system is engaged via a button on the left spoke of the steering wheel. The top third of the wheel contains a light that is blue when unable to activate or green when conditions permit hands-free driving.

I found the system incredibly capable of maintaining speed, lane position and distance from other vehicles. BUT it only worked on primary roads and when lane lines were clearly marked on both sides of the vehicle. I found it had a maddening desire to stay in the “passing’ lane rather than go to the right when two lanes were available.

Obviously even on main or primary roads and highways, if the paint marking lanes is worn or weak, the system will not operate.

Regenerative braking is an important part of the range equation.

The Equinox EV has a one-pedal drive with standard and high settings. There’s also an On-Demand paddle that’s used to modulate the amount of regen manually. It works on its own or in conjunction with the one-pedal feature.

Recharging the Equinox EV, like all electric vehicles is entirely dependent on the source  for the amount of power available and reliability.

If you can find a 150 kW DC fast charger that is working, you can add more than 100 km of range in less than 10 minutes.

An 11.5 kW Level 2 charger – at home or in a public location – will enable a full charge in less than 10 hours – a perfect overnight scenario. You can use a calender to track time if limited to a 110-volt household outlet.

Chevrolet supplies a North American Charging Standard (NACS) adaptor that allows you to use Tesla’s ultra-reliable network of charging stations which offer at least 73 kW of power.

Kudos to the design team of the Equinox EV

You only have to glance at the Equinox EV to see where it differs from the gas-powered sibling. The styling is remarkably modern and cutting edge, especially when compared to the gas-powered version.

The difference inside is even more dramatic with a pair of expansive displays. The drive faces a 28-cm configurable digital instrument cluster. A separate 43-cm touchscreen provides infotainment purposes. Both offer crisp, clear graphics and are user friendly.

Unfortunately, this Chevrolet does not offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity, relying instead on an in-house suite of apps and Google Built-in.

Kudos to the interior design team for the ambient lighting which makes driving after dark a much more pleasant experience without being distracting.

Impressive range and practical price

Driving the Equinox EV is just like any other pure electric vehicle – loads of torque from the get-go. This instant availability of so much power is the first impression anyone gets driving an EV for the first time.

The dual-motor, AWD Equinox EV can reach 100 km/hr in about six seconds, compared to five or less in most others. But they all cost more, in most cases a lot more! Few can offer the 500 kilometre range of the Chevy.

Compared to the EV6, Ioniq 5, and Model Y, the Equinox EV is rather slow to charge at a peak of 150 kilowatts instead of 230 or 250. Chevy estimates that the Equinox EV can recoup around 112 km of range after 10 minutes with DC fast charging. With Level 2 charging, it’s about 55 km in an hour of charging.

The Equinox EV may not be the most exciting pure electric vehicle on the market. But it offers all the advantages of an EV in a good-looking and practical package at a price that undercuts the competition.

FACTS & FIGURES – 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV RS

PRICE

Base: $49,999

As tested: $67,948 including freight

SAFETY

LED headlights with automatic high beams, rear seat reminder, enhanced automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, front pedestrian and bicyclist braking, following distance indicator, rear cross traffic braking, blind zone steering assist, rear pedestrian alert, reverse automatic braking, automatic intersection braking, side bicyclist alert

INFOTAINMENT

45-cm LCD screen with Google built-in, OnStar, satellite radio, wireless charging

STANDARD EQUIPMENT

21-in aluminum wheels, trailering wiring provisions, 28-cm digital display driver information screen, eight-way power/heated driver seats, heated tilt & telescope steering wheel, power liftgate, heated mirrors, adaptive cruise control, HD surround vision

SIGNIFICANT OPTIONS

Active Safety Package 3: $4,500 – enhanced automatic parking assist, Super Cruise (requires subscription), Convenience package II: $3,700 – faux leather seats, 6-way adjustable passenger seat with two-way power lumbar adjust, dual zone automatic climate control, heated wiper park, rear camera washer, rear camera mirror, ventilated front seats, heads=up display, universal home remote. Electric AWD: $3,500; power sunroof: $1,899, habanero orange paint: $595, all-weather floor mats: $495

MECHANICAL

Permanent magnet synchronous front motor, 241-horsepower, 225 lb. ft. of torque, induction AC rear motor, 90 horsepower, 121 lb. ft. of torque, combined output: 288 horsepower, 333 lb. ft. of torque; 85 kWh liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack, 11.5 kW onboard charger

DIMENSIONS

Length, 4,840 mm; width, 1,954 mm; wheelbase, 2,954 mm

COMPETITION

Chevrolet Blazer EV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Hyundai Kona, Kia EV6, Kia Niro EV, Tesla Model Y