GM unveiled the Chevrolet Blazer EV Monday night, an all-electric SUV with a range of up to 320 miles and a starting price of $48,000 that CEO and Chairman Mary Barra hopes will outpace its efforts to overtake Tesla in U.S. EV sales by 2025 Mr.
The Chevrolet Blazer EV, which will go on sale in 2023 as a 2024 model, isn’t GM’s only upcoming electric vehicle. A number of Cadillac and Chevy EVs are also making their way to market. But the Blazer, at its more affordable price and in the lucrative SUV segment, could give GM’s sales goals a boost.
Internally, trust is high. The Blazer will be a massive statement and will illustrate how GM can reach high-volume segments, according to Scott Bell, Chevrolet’s global vice president.
The Blazer, which was unveiled at a landmark premiere event in Hollywood, California, will sit on GM’s new Ultium architecture, the modular electric platform that offers up to 200 kWh of storage, an 800-volt architecture and is at the heart of the automaker’s EV strategy.
Details about the Blazer EV and its many trims have been scarce. But enough was shared to give customers more than a hint of what to expect next year.
The Blazer EV will be launched with five trims available: 1LT, 2LT, RS, SS, and the Police Pursuit version, which Bell told TechCrunch is a first for the company. The rollout will be phased, with the LT and RS versions going on sale next summer, and the SS and Police Pursuit versions arriving in the first quarter of 2024. However, tonight orders were open for interested buyers of either the versions.
“I think it’s kind of a first, the first time we’ve done all three configurations in one product,” Bell said. “We will be very transparent with consumers and try not to over promise and under deliver. We would like to try to maintain it as best as possible. We are working hard on the production side of the house to make sure we can build enough to keep up with demand.”
Bell says he expects demand to be strong as well, although he would not disclose sales targets.
“The Blazer is going to be a massive statement about how we can hit segments that are real segments, high-volume segments, and you know, the Silverado, the Blazer and, soon, the Equinox, the three biggest segments in the industry, and it has a shot at making volume. We’re going to have a great, great piece of this puzzle. Bell said.
Shaking up the SUV EV market
The Chevy Blazer returned to the US in 2018 and is selling well; although it shouldn’t be, it’s not the best-selling SUV. The Chevy Equinox, which will also be electrified in 2023, gets that recognition.
And sales have slowed recently, in part due to supply chain constraints. In the second quarter of 2022, GM reported that it sold 14,296 Blazers, down 31% from last year’s comparable figures.
Still, analysts believe the Blazer EV is poised to become second (behind Tesla’s Model Y) next year with 6.6 percent of sales in the compact and midsize electric SUV segment.
Bell expects the different Blazer trims to appeal to different customers.
“The early kind of movers and shakers are kind of moving it around a little bit, trying new things. This SS variant is going to be one of those things, isn’t it. There will be enthusiasts who will buy this car. Not because it’s a midsize crossover, but because it goes from 0 to 60 in less than four seconds,” Bell said.
(Some) of the Blazer EV specs
Blazer EV RS exterior Image credit: GM
Pricing for the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer starts at $47,595 for the 2LT. The RS will start at $51,995, has rear-wheel drive as an option and a range of 320 miles. Meanwhile, the high-performance SS (which will arrive later in 2023) will start at around $65,995 and will be able to travel around 290 miles on a single charge.
The 1LT, arriving in the first quarter of 2024, will start at $44,995 and have an estimated range of 247 miles.
Super Cruise, GM’s advanced driver assistance system that allows for hands-free driving on certain highways, will be available on certain versions of the Blazer EV.
The 2023 Blazer will be available with an 11.5kW charging capability, as well as up to 190kW DC fast charging, which the company says will add 78 miles of range in 10 minutes. The front lighting of the Blazer EV will indicate the charge status as the SUV charges, increasing in speed and intensity as the charge increases.
Inside the Blazer, customers will get a 17.7-inch color touchscreen as well as an 11-inch color driver information cluster.
Chevy Blazer EV SS Trim Image Credit: GM
There is no button to launch the Blazer; all you have to do is hit the brake pedal after closing the door and the Blazer EV will wake up. Chevy also says that through the MyChevy app, owners can map and locate charging stations along a set route. The Blazer EV will also get GM’s Ulitifi technology, which will allow for over-the-air updates and additional customization for apps and services that customers want.
The top model SS or Super Sport Blazer EV SS features an exclusive AWD configuration that produces up to 557 horsepower and up to 648 lb.-ft. of torque and offers what Chevy calls “a unique WOW (Wide Open Watts) mode, enabling 0-60 sprints in approximately less than 4 seconds (based on GM estimates).”
And then there’s the Police Pursuit version, which is made specifically for law enforcement.
According to Bell, Chevy worked closely with police in various municipalities to create the Police Pursuit version of the Blazer EV. He said it will get the same charging rates and ranges as the consumer model, but that the interior has been specially designed for police needs.
It will be available with rear-wheel drive or dual-motor four-wheel drive and will get Brembo brakes. Chevy also said it will offer commercial versions of the Blazer EV that will meet the needs of pharmaceutical companies and rental companies as well.
EV strategy
Chevy has been in the electric game longer than most automakers, starting with the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid that landed in consumer hands in 2010. Bell said the company plans to continue to use what it learned from its previous EV ventures space, including the Volt, Bolt EV and Bolt EUV, to continue expanding Chevrolet’s electrified offerings.
“Our part is to push the consumer into that space,” Bell said, “We have work to do to get the conversation to the masses, and we’re certainly going to leverage our 3,000 dealers who have consumers where 87% of our population lives within 10 miles from them.
Bell acknowledges that one of the biggest challenges to EV adoption is public charging infrastructure and the cost of EVs. Bell said that with the launch of the Blazer, the company will continue to work to install more fast charging at dealerships across the country and will work to find local electricians and installers for home charging. Chevrolet and GM will also use the dealer network to improve access to charging, Bell said.
Last week, GM announced a partnership with Pilot and Flying J to collaborate on a national fast-charging network as well.
The Blazer EV will be built at GM’s Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico, where the current combustion engine version of the Blazer is built.
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