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Chevrolet took the wraps off the Blazer EV yesterday. Here’s what we know so far. It will be available in front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive configurations and will have three battery sizes available. There will be 4 trim levels to pick from — 1LT, 2 LT, RS, and SS — plus a specially configured Police Pursuit Vehicle available to law enforcement. Customers get to pick from 3 wheel sizes — 19″, 21″, and 22″. Super Cruise will be available as an option on RS models and will come standard on SS vehicles. See the full digital reveal video below.
Blazer EV 2LT. Image courtesy of Chevrolet
Want to know more about the Blazer EV? The starting price for the 1LT is $44,995 while the SS begins at $65,995 (estimated). The all-wheel drive powertrain for the SS will make 557 horsepower and have 648 pound-feet of torque available to the driver’s right toe, enough to sling the car down the road on the way to 60 mph in under 4 seconds. All models will charge at 11.5 kW on AC power and accept up to 190 kW from a DC fast charger, enough to add up to 78 miles of range in 10 minutes. Over-the-air updates are included, as are one pedal driving, a 17.7″ center touchscreen, route planning and charger location software, and a full suite of electronic driver assistance features.
The Chevy Blazer EV shares no body panels with its gasoline-powered cousin, but it has a full helping of the slash and gash school of styling that is so popular today. Presumably, all those crease, crinkles, and cuts in the sheet metal convey a sense of power and purpose that appeals to shoppers. Styling is highly subjective, of course, but the faux air vents behind the front wheel look to me as though the car has already been backed into in a parking lot before you even get to drive it. In a world where we all feel less and less in control of events, driving something that looks like it belongs in a Mad Max movie soothes our jangled nerves, or so auto stylists seem to think.
Blazer EV RS. Image courtesy of Chevrolet.
Elon Musk may have the self control of a chimpanzee riding a methamphetamine high, but he understands marketing. If you want a Tesla Model Y, you get to pick from 5 colors, two interior colors, and a couple of wheel and tire packages. He understands that faced with too many choices, some customers find they just can’t make a decision and so decide not to buy at all.
A welter of options also requires dealers to have more cars in inventory so when a customer comes in who wants an RS with Super Cruise with just a rear motor and the biggest battery in Zowie Zircomium with the houndstooth interior, it’s on the lot and ready to go. The Tesla model is perfect for getting the most number of cars into the hands of customers while the typical blizzard of options model traditional US automakers prefer slows everything down and gums up the works.
The LT1 — The entry level Blazer EV comes with a single electric motor driving the front wheels, 19″ wheels, and the smallest available battery. Chevy hasn’t provided details on battery sizes other that to say there will a choice of small, medium, or large. It also has no official performance or range figures available yet so all the numbers you see are estimates by the company.
Blazer SS Interior. Image courtesy of Chevrolet
The LT2 — Next up is the LT2, with the same front motor and battery. It starts at $47,595, but customers can add an all-wheel drive version and a medium size battery. The AWD set up is less powerful than the one available in the SS. Range with that battery is estimated at 293 miles.
RS — Now things start getting complicated, so we are going to let Autoblog take over.
“The entry level RS still comes with front wheel drive from the low-power motor, but it gets the medium-size battery, and it costs $51,995. However, you can select a large (bigger than the medium size) battery pack that comes standard with rear wheel drive. The rear drive RS gets a different, more powerful motor than the front-drive Blazer EV does. Additionally, you can spec the RS trim with the dual motor all wheel drive setup that is optional on the 2LT. Maximum range for the RS is 320 miles, making it the trim with the theoretical longest range.
“Unfortunately, we don’t yet have output figures for these various trims, but expect the Blazer EV to follow a similar pattern as other EVs. The all wheel drive dual motor versions will have the most power and best acceleration, while the single motor versions offer up the maximum amount of range with their respective battery packs. If you spec the “comfort and convenience” packages on the RS or 2LT, you unlock the 1,500 pound towing capacity that the Blazer EV offers, but it’s only available on these models.
“You gain a number of features/tech extras with the RS model, too. Over and above the 2LT, you get 21-inch wheels (19s are standard), a power (hands-free) liftgate, a center light bar with an illuminated bowtie, contrast stitching on the interior, heated and ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel.”
SS — In addition to having the most powerful powertrain, the SS version of the Chevy Blazer EV comes with Brembo high performance front disc brakes, a “track-tuned” suspension, and standard summer performance tires wrapping 22-inch wheels. All-season tires are optional. Range for the SS is estimated to be approximately 290 miles.
Blazer EV PPV. Image courtesy of Chevrolet
Building cars for law enforcement agencies is big business for automakers and so Chevrolet has already designed a version of the Blazer EV that is tailored specifically to the needs of police departments, including room up front for the computer screens and equipment LEOs have to carry around with them. It will be available with either a single rear motor or dual motors, with the first ones coming available in early 2024.
“The 2024 Blazer EV sets a new tone for electric SUVs, with options and intuitive technologies that help position Chevy for leadership in one of the fastest-growing EV segments,” says Scott Bell, vice president of Chevrolet. “Along with the all-new Silverado EV and Equinox EV coming next year, we are making great strides in offering more choices for zero tailpipe-emissions vehicles — choices that make switching to an EV easier than ever. The Blazer EV SS has the soul of a true sports car, and while it represents the pinnacle of performance for Chevy’s EV lineup, all models offer stirring capabilities that will surprise and delight true performance devotees.”
Also yesterday, GM CEO Mary Barra told the Associated Press that by the middle of this decade, her company will sell more electric vehicles in the US than Tesla. She said she is confident GM can unseat Tesla with higher priced specialty vehicles and beat Elon in the race to produce EVs with longer range at prices people can afford. “To really get to 30, 40, 50% EVs being sold, you have to appeal to people that are in that $30,000 to $35,000 price range,” Barra said.
The Chevy Bolt and Bolt EUV now start at under $30,000, and the Equinox EV is due to be unveiled late this year or early next year. It reportedly will start at around $30,000.
The Chevy Blazer EV is an American interpretation of the Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5. The only difference is, Volkswagen still can take advantage of the federal EV tax credit while Chevrolet cannot. Will it be a home run for Chevrolet? The answer to that question is vitally important to Mary Barra and her team.
Steve writes about the interface between technology and sustainability from his homes in Florida and Connecticut or anywhere else the Singularity may lead him. You can follow him on Twitter but not on any social media platforms run by evil overlords like Facebook.
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