General Motors is determined to be one of the trailblazers when it comes to battery-powered vehicles, with more than 30 new EVs coming to market by mid-decade. And that makes it all the more appropriate that the next all-electric offering it’s set to roll out is a new version of the popular gas-powered Chevrolet Blazer SUV.
Set to start rolling into U.S. showrooms a year from now, the 2024 Chevy Blazer EV will be the first mainstream model from GM to use its next-generation Ultium batteries and chassis, as well as the Ultifi electrical system. (Chevy’s Bolt EV and EUV use a different battery system that precedes Ultium.) The payoff, according to the automaker, will come in the form of longer range, shorter charging times, improved handling and lots of new features, including the hands-free Super Cruise driving system.
“We’re making it easy to go EV,” Steve Majoros, Chevy’s marketing chief, said during a briefing ahead of Monday’s debut of the new Blazer EV.
A New Yet Familiar Blazer
At first glance, you might confuse the new battery model with the familiar, gas-powered Blazer. But fundamentally they are different: the original Blazer is based on GM’s C1XX vehicle architecture, while the EV is on the automaker’s new battery platform, Ultium.
A handful of immediate cues, starting with the lightbar stretching across the EV’s face, indicate this is a now an electrified vehicle. With its backlit version of the brand’s bowtie logo, it puts on a lightshow when you approach the Blazer—or walk away at the end of a drive. It also has a more functional purpose, indicating the SUV’s state-of-charge when plugged into a charger.
As with most new EVs, the electric Blazer foregoes the conventional grille—since there’s no engine to cool under the hood—substituting a decorative panel.
As with the earlier GMC Hummer EV and new Cadillac Lyriq, the Ultium platform that Blazer is based on mounts the battery pack and electric motors underneath the SUV’s load floor. That approach yields more space for the passenger compartment while also lowering the vehicle’s center of gravity. Despite the added weight of the modular battery pack, that should translate into an improved ride and handling.
Powering the Blazer EV
The flexibility of the Ultium platform will allow Chevy to offer two different lithium-ion battery pack sizes, with range running from 247 miles to as much as 320 miles of range.
One of the more distinctive features of the Blazer EV, however, will be the three different powertrain configurations. According to GM officials, it will be the company’s first model ever to be offered with a choice of front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The base 1LT model will use a single front-mounted electric motor. The 2LT and RSS models will be available in the various drivetrain layouts.
And the Blazer EV SS will be a performance-oriented AWD package hammering out 557 horsepower and 684 pound-feet of torque, with a WOW, or “Wide Open Watts,” mode capable of giving short bursts of additional power—much like the “Watts for Freedom” mode on the new GMC Hummer EV pickup.
The SS will be able to launch from zero to 60 mph in “under 4 seconds,” according to GM lead development engineer Bret Dick, though final numbers are yet to be locked down. But there will be a trade-off, the performance model yielding a still solid 290 miles per charge compared with up to 320 for other models with the extended-range pack.
Chevy hasn’t finalized all the data on charging but expects the Blazer will be able to add as much as 78 additional miles of range in 10 minutes when using public DC fast chargers. Most motorists are expected to charge at home or office, however, and the SUV comes with an internal charger capable of handling up to 11.5 kilowatts.
Blazer EV’s Arrival and Cost
Chevy will stagger the rollout of the 2024 Blazer EV, with the 2LT and RSS models coming first, sometime next summer. The high-performance SS will follow two months later, and the base 1LT will arrive in U.S. showrooms by no later than the first quarter of 2024, according to Chevy’s Majoros.
Pricing will start at $44,995 for the 1LT (247-mile range) and $47,595 for the 2LT (293 miles). The long-range RS will come in at $51,995 for 320 miles, with the 290-mile range SS starting at $65,995—all prices factoring in delivery fees. Those prices will vary widely depending on battery and powertrain choices, as well as options that include Super Cruise, advanced auto-parking and a head-up display system. Inside, a 17.7-inch center touchscreen dominates the dash.
Chevy no longer qualifies for a federal tax credit after hitting the sales threshold with its Bolt and discontinued Volt lineup.
After Monday’s debut event, Chevy opened $100 (refundable) online reservations for the Blazer EV.
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