Chevrolet Blazer EV vs Equinox EV
If you’ve been shopping for an electric vehicle (EV) recently, you’ve likely come across GM’s latest and most popular EVs - the Chevrolet Equinox EV and Blazer EV.
Both of these all-electric crossover SUVs are built on the same advanced EV architecture and technology (formerly known as Ultium) that underpins GM’s other EVs. In fact, they have more in common with each other than their respective gas-powered Equinox and Blazer siblings. And they both offer excellent value for the money, especially when it comes to features, size, and range.
If you’ve looked at both of them, you’ve probably wondered which one is right for you. After all, at first glance, the Equinox EV and Blazer EV are very similar in terms of size, range, features, and space. Let’s dive into the differences between these two popular EVs.
Exterior Design and Dimensions
The Equinox EV and Blazer EV are very attractive contemporary designs from all angles. It’s clear that they’re from the same Chevrolet family but they each have their own distinctive design.
Both wear Chevrolet’s new family look for its EVs up front, including an available thin LED light bar that spans from end to end, a large Chevrolet bowtie emblem, separated headlamps, and a large faux grille.
Along the side profile, however, is where the similarities end. The Blazer EV has a more conventional and upright SUV look with a large continuous window line that spans all the way to the upright back end. In contrast, the Equinox EV has more of a coupe-like side profile with a body-colored C-pillar and sloping rear window met by full length tail lamps.
While the Blazer offers an available blacked-out roof only on the new SS trim, the Equinox EV can be had with your choice of a body colored, white, or black roof, depending on the trim. The all-new Blazer EV SS adds a unique front fascia, clear taillamps, and larger 22-inch wheels that hints at its high-performance specs.
External dimensions are very close between the two models. The Blazer EV is slightly bigger in all measurements and its wheelbase is over 5 inches longer to accommodate its bigger available battery. It also offers 1.5 inches more ground clearance than the Equinox EV.
Chevy Blazer and Equinox Interiors
Inside, both vehicles are more similar, but also add their own unique touches. The Equinox EV and Blazer EV greet you with the same standard 11-inch driver info display and the 17.7-inch infotainment screen that uses a built-in Google system that doesn’t support Apple CarPlay. Although packages may differ slightly, available features are similar for both models, such as Super Cruise, a digital review camera, a dual pane sunroof, and a head-up display.
While the Blazer EV decorates the cabin with more Camaro-inspired and backlit turbine-like air vents, the Equinox EV adds blue or grey trim accents with adjustable ambient lighting along the dashboard and door panels. Both interiors can be dressed in either black cloth seats on lower trims or a perforated suede/Evotex seating trim in full black or a black/adrenaline red combination. The LT trim in Equinox EV offers a Sky Cool Gray/black Evotex seat trim that’s not offered in the Blazer EV. The high performance Blazer EV SS offers either a pure Adrenaline Red Evotex seat trim, or a black/grey Evotex with orange accents and seat belts.
As you’d expect, the Blazer EV is slightly bigger inside in virtually all dimensions. Most notably, it offers almost 3-inches more front legroom and about 3-inches more rear shoulder and hip room. Oddly, with the rear seats up, the bigger Blazer EV offers slightly less cargo space than the Equinox EV. However, with the rear seats folded, the Blazer EV has almost 2 cu. ft more overall cargo space than the Equinox EV, thanks largely to its longer wheelbase and wider dimensions.
Chevrolet EV SUVs: Powertrain and Range
The biggest differences between the Equinox EV and Blazer EV are “under the hood.”
The Equinox EV can be equipped in either front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). Chevrolet chose to put the more powerful electric motor up front. In AWD models, a less powerful electric motor is added to the rear axle to assist when additional traction and power are needed.
In contrast, the Blazer EV comes in your choice of FWD, rear-wheel drive (RWD), or AWD. FWD Blazer EVs have a similar set up as FWD Equinox EVs. RWD Blazer EVs have an even more powerful electric motor mounted on the rear axle for better performance characteristics. AWD Blazer EVs keep the more powerful electric motor on the rear axle, while adding a less powerful electric motor up front for added traction and power. The all-new SS trim comes standard with AWD and 595 hp and 645 lb-ft torque for even more performance.
All Equinox EVs come equipped with one battery size – a large 85-kWh battery. That same battery is shared with all AWD Blazer EVs and the new FWD Blazer EV. All RWD Blazer EVs and the new SS AWD performance trim are equipped with an even larger 102kWh battery.
Range varies between the Equinox EV and Blazer EV, depending on the trim and powertrain. FWD Equinox EVs get up to 319 miles (513 km) of EPA combined range, whereas AWD trims get up to 285 miles (45 9km). The range topping RWD Blazer EV gets up to 334 miles (538 km) of range, thanks to its larger battery. Both the FWD and AWD Blazer EVs get similar range to that of the Equinox EV. Chevrolet hasn’t announced the range for the new Blazer EV SS performance trim, but I’d expect it to be under the 300-mile mark.
Blazer and Equinox Charging
Once you open the Blazer EV’s powered port door or the Equinox EV’s manual port door to access the charging port, you’ll find that charging is somewhat similar for both models.
Both the Equinox EV and Blazer EV come equipped with a 11.5-kWh (48A) onboard AC charger. According to GM, this can deliver between 31-36 miles (50-58km) in an hour of charging using a Level 2 charger. That’s more than enough to charge either the Equinox EV or Blazer EV overnight.
DC Fast Charging differs largely on the Blazer EV trims equipped with the bigger 102-kWh battery. All Equinox EVs and Blazer EV AWD trims that share the same 85-kWh battery have a peak charging speed of 150kW. GM claims up to 77 miles (124 km) in about 10 minutes for the Equinox EV and up to 68 miles (109 km) for the Blazer EV. The Blazer EV RWD and SS AWD equipped with the larger 102-kWh battery have a peak DC charging rate of 190kW, adding up to 80 miles (129 km) in about 10 minutes. 2025 Equinox EVs and Blazer EVs are equipped with a CCS charging port, so you’ll need a NACS-to-CCS adapter to charge at a Tesla Supercharger.
Driving Impressions
The different powertrains between the Equinox EV and Blazer EV translate into different driving characteristics.
In AWD versions, acceleration is fairly similar in the Equinox EV and Blazer EV, since they share the same battery and dual electric motors, although in different configurations. However, the FWD Equinox EV is torquey at lower speeds but behaves more like an economy car on the highway with slower acceleration and passing power. I’d suspect that the FWD Blazer EV will behave similar to the FWD Equinox EV since they share the same electric motor and battery. In contrast, the more powerful RWD Blazer EV has 125 more horsepower and much stronger acceleration around town and on the highway that the FWD Equinox EV. Like all GM EVs, power comes on more gradual without abruptly throwing you into your seat like in many modern EVs.
The most noticeable differences between the Equinox EV and Blazer EV are in the handling and overall feel. Whether you’re driving the FWD or AWD Equinox EV trims, it feels like a FWD vehicle where power can be felt from up front and noticeable understeer when pushed hard into a corner. The RWD and AWD Blazer EV feels more like a performance-oriented vehicle since it’s RWD biased. You can clearly feel the power coming from behind you and handles corners a bit more balanced due to its RWD-based system. I didn’t get a chance to drive the new FWD Blazer EV, but I’d suspect that it drives much like the FWD Equinox EV.
Regenerative braking and overall braking feel in both the Equinox EV and Blazer EV are excellent. All models feature an “On” or “High” setting for one-pedal driving. The “High” setting is very strong on every Equinox EV and Blazer trim, even for experienced EV drivers. They also all feature a Regen on Demand paddle that allows you to vary the amount of regen and braking force. It’s a great feature that all EVs should include.
Pricing and Competition
Despite their similarities and competing in the same vehicle segment, pricing is very different between the Equinox EV and Blazer EV. The Equinox EV is more focused on value for the money, especially when it comes to the range you get for the price. The Blazer EV is more focused on premium-ness and performance, especially given its power, driving dynamics, and more premium materials.
There’s about a $6,000-11,000 USD difference in MSRPs (excluding destination) between the FWD versions of the Equinox EV and Blazer EV, despite similar powertrain, size, and features. There’s also a similar price difference in MSRPs between the AWD versions. The $60,600 MSRP Blazer EV SS performance trim is unique to the Blazer EV.
In terms of competition, both the Equinox EV and Blazer EV play in the same vehicle segment. However, the lower priced Equinox EV competes more with the base and lower trims of competitors like the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Hyundai Ioniq 5. Whereas, the Blazer EV competes more with the higher trims and extended range versions of the same competitors. It’s an interesting dual model strategy from GM to cover various ends of the segment.
Which One Is Best for You?
The Equinox EV and Blazer EV are similar in many ways, but different when it comes to powertrain, driving dynamics, and performance.
If you’re more value and budget conscious, the Equinox EV is the clear choice. It gives you the best “bang for the buck”, especially when it comes to price and features in a longer-range EV. If you’re willing to live with fewer features, the best value is in the FWD and lower trims. Once you start loading up the options the price can approach that of the Blazer EV.
If you want slightly more room, power, and performance, the Blazer EV is a better choice. You get good power, driving characteristics, and range with either the RWD and AWD trims. For even higher performance, the new SS model should give you similar performance characteristics as the Mustang Mach-E GT in a slightly bigger vehicle.
Regardless of the model, Chevrolet’s Equinox EV and Blazer EV offer a good combination of value for the money, features, and range.
