GM presented a bunch of electric vehicles in the last couple of years: the GMC Hummer SUV and its accompanying pickup truck, the Cadillac Lyriq, and the Silverado EV pickup truck. But so far, none of them have had the success of the cheaper, smaller Chevy Bolt, the wedge-shaped electric hatchback that debuted nearly eight years ago.
To say that GM and the new Chevrolet Blazer EV are applying pressure — a vehicle designed to satisfy Americans’ never-ending appetites for SUVs — is a bit of an understatement. The weight of GM’s EV success doesn’t rest solely on the all-electric midsize SUV. the upcoming Chevrolet Equinox EV, GMC Sierra pickup, and Cadillac Escalade IQ, all due in 2024, share that burden.
However, the Chevrolet Blazer EV is a critical test piece for GM and Chair and CEO Mary Barra’s Ultium platform, the new electrical architecture and accompanying Ultifi software that was first revealed in 2020 and is the foundation of the automaker’s EV plans.
TechCrunch recently went to San Diego to test drive the Chevrolet Blazer EV. The result; The Chevy Blazer EV hits many of the right notes, from the exterior design and interior touches to the user interface on its infotainment system and a well-placed drive. There are no glaring mistakes either, although some might put the omission of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in that camp. And luckily, Chevy has designed and produced a perfectly normal SUV—a welcome relief from the slew of innovative EVs that have hit the market in recent years.
The big loss is the higher than expected value. While Chevrolet said its cheapest version, the front-wheel drive LT trim, will cost under $50,000, the other versions start at $56,715, $60,215 and $61,790, with the most expensive SS model not even announced yet.
That price range leaves me with this point: For all its wins, the Blazer EV, which is meant to be a volume seller, is simply too expensive for what it offers.
Nuts and bolts
Image Credits: GM
First, the specs. The Chevy Blazer EV will be offered in three trims: LT, RS and performance SS. The all-wheel drive Chevy Blazer EV RS trim is already in production at GM’s plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. All-wheel-drive LT and rear-wheel-drive RS versions are expected to go into production in the “coming weeks” with others to follow later in the year, according to the company.
If that sounds like a lot of options, you’re right. Chevrolet offers many options. A buyer not only has three trims to choose from — luxury (LT), rally sport (RS) and super sport (SS) — there are also two different sizes of 400-volt batteries and a choice between front, rear and all-wheel drive options.
The big unanswered question is whether this will excite or overwhelm consumers?
Chevrolet has touted the number of configurations as a competitive advantage that consumers will respond to, unlike Tesla, which has taken the lead in EV sales with a less-is-more business model. From the outside, it could be interpreted that Chevrolet offers all these options because it is not clear what consumers really want. If that’s the case, I’d expect these options to become more limited in the future as Chevrolet deals with what consumers buy.
The San Diego press drive put journalists behind the wheel of rear- and all-wheel-drive versions of the Chevy Blazer EV RS trim.
The RWD RS equipped with a 102 kWh battery has an EPA-certified range of 324 miles and a powertrain that delivers 340 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. This RWD version, which has a bit more pep in its step and more range, starts at $61,790. The RS AWD starts at $60,215.
A quick word about the all-wheel drive system, which is called eAWD. In this drivetrain, there is a 241hp permanent magnet synchronous motor driving the front wheels and a 90hp induction motor on the rear axle. This rear engine does not run continuously. Instead, customers should think of it as an auxiliary motor that kicks in if the roads are slippery or as they hit the gas.
Image Credits: Kirsten Korosech
Chevy Blazer EV: I like it, I love it, and I hate it
Chevrolet, or more like its parent GM, made a strategic decision with this midsize SUV when it decided to badge it the Blazer. After all, the gas-powered Blazer lineup is still very much around and will share the same store space. The name, however, is where the similarities end, with perhaps the exception of being nearly the same length.
Everything diverges from there. The Blazer EV has a longer wheelbase of 121.8 inches—nearly 10 inches longer than the ICE version—and is also a skosh wider. These specs combined with the lower roofline and sporty stance give the Chevy Blazer EV a sleeker look than its gas-powered cousin.
There’s a lot to like, even love, about the Chevy Blazer EV. Hate? Maybe an item or two made it onto my list.
Opinions on the outside will likely differ. Here at TechCrunch it’s safe to say some people hated it. Still, you have to give GM credit for giving the Chevy Blazer EV a personality with some distinct exterior features that keep it from looking like just another homogenous vitamin E pill-shaped nugget. The vehicle is available in eight colors, with the “Radiant Red Metallic ” and “galactic gray metallic” as the options that best highlight the curves and edges of the Blazer EV.
Notably, the automaker does this without making the Blazer EV look like a novelty car. That edgy, no-nonsense vibe continues into the cabin – a place where the vehicle really shines, with a few exceptions.
Chevrolet makes the most of the Blazer EV’s wide stance, a decision that leaves plenty of room for the driver and passengers. including 59.8 cubic feet of rear trunk space. That spacious, roomy feeling even extends to the seats. While the seats weren’t the most comfortable I’ve ever experienced, they’re clearly designed to fit a range of sizes and shapes.
Image Credits: GM
Once inside the Blazer EV, customers won’t be able to miss the large 17.7-inch center touchscreen and 11-inch instrument cluster located just behind the steering wheel. A vehicle with a large touch screen does not mean that there is functional software or that it is easy to use. Fortunately, the Blazer EV, the first Chevy vehicle with the Ultifi software platform, does most of the work.
Let’s start with UX or user experience. The Chevrolet Blazer EV has a combination of physical knobs and buttons along with that large touchscreen. Chevy strikes a balance between these options, and there’s enough overlap for those who want to use only the touchscreen to operate the HVAC and other functions.
My favorite features: A large physical button is attached to the touchscreen (somewhat reminiscent of the Ford Mustang Mach-E knob) and icons on the left edge of the screen that act as shortcuts for one-pedal driving. There are actually a few of these shortcut icons clustered together, but the one-pedal driving icon is by far the most useful.
Many, more recently Ford CEO Jim Farley, have slammed GM for abandoning Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which projects a user’s phone onto the center screen. My experience behind the wheel and in the passenger seat has left me less wary than before.
The Chevy Blazer EV is equipped with Google built-in, which is powered by its Android Automotive operating system and integrates Google services, including Google Maps and Google Assistant, directly into the vehicle. Google Play Store, YouTube and third-party apps like Spotify are also available. This translates into fairly smooth operations for the user and a much better experience than many other bumpy infotainment systems offer. Although it should be noted that at the beginning of my drive I had to switch vehicles due to a software bug that didn’t allow access to any of these features. This should be fixed with a software update and hopefully won’t be a persistent problem.
As for those failings: The stock shift mode for neutral, drive, and reverse is awkward, and the “sport” mode isn’t exactly sporty. Heydespite the minimal additional noise off the line, there didn’t seem to be any difference from the normal driving option called “tour”. The Chevy Blazer EV RS doesn’t have a controlled or active suspension, which means switching between modes doesn’t change the driving feel. Steering feedback was also less than inspiring in the RS.
This may seem rather selective considering all the vehicle’s wins. But for any vehicle priced above $60,000, expectations should be high.
