The mellowing of electric-vehicle adoption hasn鈥檛 prevented General Motors from introducing several such models, specifically for the Chevrolet and Cadillac brands.
In particular, Chevrolet has three available, including the Blazer EV. A fourth 鈥� the Corvette EV 鈥� is expected sometime in 2025, with others reportedly in the development stage.
The scalable platform, which is used for all GM EVs, large and small, can handle front, rear or front and rear electric motors.
For the midsize five-passenger Blazer EV, the prominent nose does have a type of grille, but it鈥檚 mostly for aesthetics. The rest of the bodywork shares nothing 鈥� as in zero 鈥� with the gasoline Blazer, which remains in production.
Both are same length, but the EV has about a 23-centimetre advantage in distance between the front and rear wheels. That means easier rear-seat access through the generously sized doors, plus plenty of legroom. Despite the EV鈥檚 lower roofline, cargo volume is greater than the gasoline Blazer鈥檚, with the seat upright or folded flat.
There鈥檚 no storage beneath the hood 鈥� commonly called a front trunk or a frunk 鈥� for smaller items, which is frequently found in other EVs, such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
The interior has a 17.7-inch infotainment screen and a fashionably large 11.1-inch driver-information display. Instead of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, the Blazer EV gets Google software.
Oversized air vents are positioned on either side of the dashboard and directly above the floor console.
The base 300-horsepower LT lists for $57,900, including destination charges. It鈥檚 available in front- or all-wheel-drive ($61,400), has a range of 453 and 538 kms, respectively. Equipment includes the usual power features as well as heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, 19-inch wheels and standard active-safety technology such as front and rear emergency braking, active cruise control and blind-spot warning.
The 365-horsepower rear-wheel-drive RS ($68,400) can also go up to 538 kms on a charge, but AWD claws that back to 453.
The performance-oriented AWD Blazer SS ($73,400) makes 595 horsepower and 645 pound-feet. According to Chevrolet, it can hit 60 mph (96-km/h) from rest in less than four seconds. The range is advertised as 470 kms. For every 10 minutes the Blazer EV is plugged in to a Level 3 DC fast charger, 125 kms of range will be added. With a 240-volt home charger, expect a full top-up overnight.
Note that the dual-level charge cord needed for Level 2 and Level 3 use is optional.
The RS and SS come with heated and ventilated front seats, heated flat-bottom steering wheel and a hands-free power liftgate. They both have exterior lighting between the grille and the hood that illuminates when the driver approaches.
Exclusive to the SS is a head-up driver鈥檚 info display (projects information such as speed onto the windshield), a rear-view camera/mirror, Brembo-brand front brakes, premium-grade interior trim and unique 22-inch wheels (21-inch versions are fitted to the RS).
Standard with the SS is the latest version of General Motors鈥� Super Cruise system that allows hands-free driving on more than 640,000 kms of roads in the United States and Canada. GM says that Super Cruise allows the Blazer to safely overtake slower-moving traffic and return to the original lane, all without driver involvement.
Chevrolet also says it is creating a Police Pursuit Vehicle model based on the SS, which, given its power output, likely makes the most sense.
Given its size, styling, output and variety of trim levels, the Chevrolet Blazer EV has plenty going for it. It also happens to be competitively priced, further enhanced by government rebates.
These factors are helping to create increased buyer interest and acceptance in electric vehicles.
