Chevrolet Equinox EV RS – EVERYTHING YOU’D WANT

Chevrolet Equinox EV RS

EVERYTHING YOU’D WANT

Last week, I had the opportunity to test drive an all-electric Habanero Orange 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV RS, arriving with a $52,945 price tag.  This is not a gas-powered vehicle that has been converted to all-electric; instead, it’s an innovation by the General Motors engineers to create their Ultium platform, a flexible electric vehicle architecture that is scalable, allowing it to underpin a wide range of electric vehicles.  I suspect it’s something that you’ll begin to see from all the big automakers continuing to produce gasoline, hybrid and all-electric vehicles.  

The Ultium platform features modular battery and drive unit combinations, and has a combination of motors and multiple battery modules to allow for more versatility and power.  I’m not an engineer, but clearly the idea is to provide vehicles with greater  power, range and performance. 

The Equinox EV advertises a range of 319 miles on a full charge, although anyone who has driven an electric vehicle can attest that actual range will vary based on several factors, including ambient temperature, terrain, battery age and condition, and loading; even braking in traffic has a huge effect. I’ve discovered that using the heater on a cold day saps an electric car in a big way. Part of the adventure of driving an electric vehicle is watching the battery activity. The Equinox EV delivers 220 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque.  The EPA rates the Equinox EV at 108 MPGe.

The Equinox EV comes with a wide 17.7-inch infotainment touchscreen and an 11.0-inch digital gauge display that serves as the instrument panel. The infotainment system does include built-in apps such as Google Maps and Spotify. However (and unfortunately) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone-mirroring capabilities are not offered.  The navi system is very sophisticated and easy to use.  And while I never used it, there is an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot. The front seats give off a typical cockpit vibe with a little throw back to a 3-on-the-tree gear shift – the car I drove was an automatic that had all the gears and parking on the steering column. (After so many center console gear shifts it was a bit of nostalgia that I appreciated.) And that one little touch helped immensely with my range anxiety. I know it sounds nutty and our 20-something roommate did NOT approve. Her comment: “Why would anyone put the transmission interface where the wiper controls belong?” 

The Equinox EV came with all the basic driver-assistance features as standard, including automated emergency braking, automatic high-beam headlamps, and lane-keeping assist. I did have a bit of a problem with the sensitivity with the emergency braking in the parking lot of the grocery store. It was busy with tons of carts and pedestrians. I was in reverse and got the shock of car braking. It was a stray cart rolling down close to the other row of parked cars. 

But I will say I enjoyed all the other assistance programs. It even came equipped with GM’s Super Cruise hands-free driving system, which once you get over the trepidation of using it for the first few times, becomes a godsend for extended trips.  The vehicle seamlessly changes lanes to pass and then changes lanes once the vehicle in front has been passed.  In my opinion, this is the perfect combination of small nods to an earlier time while streamlining all the advances the industry has to offer.