The Base Chevrolet Equinox EV Is a Bargain: Review

The Chevrolet Bolt wasn’t the sexiest or most efficient EV when it was on sale. Rather, the Bolt was an excellent answer to the problem of cheap transportation—small, efficient, sensible, and a pretty keen driver with a great ride and handling.

The new Equinox EV is not a bigger Bolt, but it’s probably better for it.

This is what so many EV advocates and would-be customers have wanted—a long-range, $35,000 electric car in a shape Americans love. Even though it came out in 2024, the 2025 version introduces the base LT trim, which starts at $34,995 before incentives, or about the same as most mid-size hybrid crossovers. In effect, Chevy has removed one of the biggest hurdles to buying an EV. 

That’s all to say that the Equinox EV is a very important car, and no surprise that our colleagues at InsideEVs named it their Breakthrough of the Year. But for something so remarkable, the actual experience of being in and driving the Equinox EV is pretty unremarkable.

Photo by: Chris Perkins / Motor1

Photo by: Chris Perkins / Motor1

Pros: As Affordable As Hybrid Equivalents, Good Range, Doesn’t Feel Cheap

Perhaps most importantly, the Equinox EV LT doesn’t feel like a stripped-out base model inside. It uses all cloth and vinyl, naturally, and the steering wheel isn’t even leather. But nothing feels cheap or tinny, and the technology is up to date. This isn’t rental-car grade.

To drive, it’s…fine. GM’s latest EVs are heavy; Chevy hasn’t published a weight figure for the Equinox EV yet, but Car and Driver measured a better-equipped 2024 model at a little over 4,900 pounds. So figure somewhere in the high 4,800-pound range for this Equinox, and it feels it.

The Equinox EV’s ride, especially approaching and at highway speeds, is busy and choppy. And occasionally, the thing just feels a bit ponderous. Still, I wouldn’t say it’s uncomfortable, and it’s perfectly pleasant for driving around town. 

The 220 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque aren’t a ton for a car this heavy, but the power should be enough for most buyers. Chevy smooths out the accelerator, so even if you floor it from a stop, there’s a beat before it gives you everything. That should make it easier to get used to for someone coming out of a combustion car. When you’re at full power, there’s enough oomph to generate a bit of torque steer.

Photo by: Chris Perkins / Motor1

Cons: Choppy Ride, Heavy, Heated Seats Are An Option

We didn’t do any range testing, but the Equinox’s EPA-rated 3.2 miles per kilowatt-hour puts it about mid-pack compared to similarly sized, two-wheel drive EVs. The 150-kilowatt charging speed is decent, too, but you need to plug into a 350-kilowatt DC fast charger to get amperage to charge at the maximum rate.

It’s hard to imagine the average consumer finding anything objectionable about the way the Equinox EV drives. If that’s damning with faint praise, well, I suppose it comes from the fact that there are better-driving mainstream EVs out there. The Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 spring to mind, but both are more expensive. Most people will just appreciate the smooth, quiet, fuss-free nature of the Equinox EV.

What may be a larger turn-off is the lack of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto—you’re stuck with GM’s native infotainment system. Thankfully, it’s good. The operation is easy and it features popular apps like Google Maps, Waze, and Spotify built-in, as well as Google’s developed voice assistant. Android users may have an easier time with this system due to its Google integrations, but as an iPhone user, I missed being able to read text messages aloud or quickly select music and podcasts. Not having CarPlay isn’t a huge deal, but it’s less seamless.

The panoramic screen looks great, though, and the digital gauge cluster is nice, if finicky to configure. If, say, you want your trip computer on the gauge cluster, you have to find the trip computer buried deep in a menu on the infotainment, then press to add it. Slightly maddening. 

Photo by: Chris Perkins / Motor1

There are other faults. Visibility isn’t great thanks to big A-pillars and a hood that slopes down, making the front of the car seem far away. I also wish you got heated seats standard, because heating the body is more efficient than heating the entire cabin, though like all other new GM EVs, the Equinox has an efficiency-boosting heat pump. If you want powered, heated seats, they’re part of a $1,455 package that also mandates selecting at $545 package that adds rear pedestrian alert, surround-view cameras, and traffic sign recognition. 

GM’s great hand-free driver assist SuperCruise is also available as a $3,355 option, but that mandates you add other packages that ultimately bump up the price by $14,755. So if you want SuperCruise, the barrier to entry is right under $50,000. Personally, I’d spend the extra $5,000 to get an all-wheel drive Equinox because it adds useful additional power without a big range hit, and part of the price bump includes the heated seats and extra safety features.

At any rate, however, the Equinox EV is a bargain. When you compare it to EVs, when you compare it to similarly sized hybrids and even pure-combustion cars. Especially so if you get one with the $7,500 federal tax credit (for as long as that’s still around). 

The old Bolt was a surprising delight, and its appeal was in its back-to-basics approach to efficient daily transport. The Equinox EV isn’t that. Instead, it’s something that a lot of Americans might actually want.

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