The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Pleasant styling
- User-friendly cabin
- Good Google built-in
- Super Cruise option
Dislikes
- No frunk
- Can get expensive
- No CarPlay or Android Auto
- One-pedal controls can frustrate
Buying tip
The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV is a solid choice with a terrific pricetag. Put it on your shopping list.
What kind of vehicle is the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV? What does it compare to?
The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV is, as its name suggests, an electric car. It’s shaped like a small crossover and it compares well with the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Tesla Model Y, and Kia EV6.
Is the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV a good SUV?
Overall, the Equinox EV is a strong contender, helped out considerably by the new sub-$35,000 LT trim level that anchors the lineup without providing a degradation in range. It’s a 7.8 out of 10 on the TCC scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV?
The 2025 Equinox EV is slightly more powerful in both front- and all-wheel-drive configurations compared to last year, and the lineup now costs a significantly lower $34,995 to start thanks to the addition of a long-promised LT trim level. The previous 2LT and 3LT trims have been turned into option packages, with pricing on par with the model’s 2024 model-year debut.
Styling-wise, Chevy’s entry-level EV has clean, conventional lines for the most part. Its side profile is a bit more avant garde with its two-tone paint and somewhat daring rearmost roof pillar, but it’s certainly not the kind of EV to brag about its unusual shape. The same’s mostly true with the interior, aside from an overreliance on painted trim that seems at odds with high-end versions’ pricing.
Five adults can fit in the Equinox EV, thanks in part to its flat load floor that makes the rear seat capable of humans in all three seatbelts. Cargo space is decent, aided in part by rear seatbacks that can fold almost flat — a relative rarity. Chevy sweated the small stuff when it came to storage for phones, drinks, pens, and other devices, too. This is a well thought-out cabin.
Chevy offers the Equinox EV in two setups: a 220-hp single-motor, front-wheel-drive model or as a 300-hp, dual-motor, all-wheel-drive model. They both accelerate smoothly and confidently, without the rush of instant torque we’ve come to expect from EVs. If the Equinox EV is your first dive into an electric car, you’ll find it to be an easy transition.
The Equinox EV has reasonable efficiency at as high as 108 MPGe with front-wheel drive. Those models boast a range estimate of 319 miles. All-wheel-drive models are less efficient and can go just 285 miles, though.
These models ride and handle well, with a comfortable suspension and reasonable road-holding but little in the way of entertainment behind the wheel.
Crash-testers have yet to smack the Equinox EV into walls, so we can’t comment on its safety. This model is offered with parent company General Motors’ trick Super Cruise system for long stretches of hands-off driving. You’ll need to keep your eyes on the road, but this system can make mile-eating a cinch.
How much does the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV cost?
The Equinox EV range starts at $34,995, which is reasonably inexpensive given how much tech they include. Look for big screens with Google built-in, but don’t try to connect your phone to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto as these EVs are not equipped with smartphone mirroring.
Where is the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV made?
In Mexico.
2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV Styling
The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV is a conservative effort that doesn’t shout its EV credentials.
Is the Chevrolet Equinox EV a good-looking car?
It’s nice enough to earn points inside and out for a 7 on the TCC scale.
If you want the entire world to know that you’ve bought an EV, the Equinox EV probably isn’t the model for you. But for those who want something that blends in a bit more, it’s a solid choice. It doesn’t have much in common with the Chevy Equinox, but the EV wears clean, attractive lines. Up front, its trim fascia has just enough detailing to look futuristic. Its side profile is unique, with a big windshield that gives way to a somewhat short roofline that dives toward a pert tail end with clear taillights. Wheel sizes range from 19 to 21 inches, depending on the trim.
The cabin is more futuristic, albeit with simple and convenient controls. The three-spoke steering wheel fronts an 11.0-inch instrument cluster, which sits next to a huge, unusually shaped 17.7-inch touchscreen. A smattering of climate control buttons sit below. Chevy relies heavily on painted interior trim, which doesn’t look particularly upscale but does add some modern flair.
2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV Performance
The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV provides refined, reasonably quick performance.
Chevy makes no effort to turn the Equinox EV into a tire burner. It’s comfortable and reasonably zippy, which helps it score a 7 on the TCC scale.
Is the Chevrolet Equinox EV 4WD?
A second motor is optional, which gives the normally front-drive Equinox EV all-wheel traction. It’s costly, but it makes the Equinox EV quicker (and also less efficient).
How fast is the Chevrolet Equinox EV?
The base powertrain has been uprated to a manufacturer-estimated 220 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque for 2025, or 300 hp and 355 lb-ft of torque when the second motor is selected. There’s a big gap in performance figures, though, as the base version is said to hit 60 mph in around 8.0 seconds, while the dual-motor model does the deed in about 6.0 seconds.
The Equinox EV accelerates quickly enough, but with gradual, gas car-like power delivery. It’s not peaky, but it doesn’t pour on with a quickness.
One-pedal driving is accessed via an icon on the touchscreen, which is a bit more fiddly than the paddle-shifter setup found in some competitive EVs. The system works as described and is quite useful in town or even on highway jaunts. You can also entirely turn off regenerative braking for a feel remarkably similar to a conventional gas-fueled car.
In fact, if it wasn’t for the Equinox EV’s hushed acceleration and its heavy but comfortable ride, it would blend in with the sea of gas-fueled cars on the road. It’s a great transition vehicle for drivers who might be put off by the comparatively unusual driving characteristics of some EVs.
2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV Comfort & Quality
Good interior space and comfy enough seats make the Equinox EV a solid choice.
The 2025 Chevy Equinox EV has a comfortable, well-designed cabin with above-average space for what’s marketed (and mostly sized like) a “compact” SUV. It gets points above average for its ample rear-seat legroom and for its decent cargo area. It doesn’t have a front trunk, though.
The Equinox EV’s front seats are reasonablhy comfortable, though the cheapest versions have just six ways of manual adjustment. Power adjustment comes on higher-end versions.
The rear seat has about 40 inches of legroom, plus the doors have big openings. Aiding the situation is an almost entirely flat load floor, which makes three abreast a possibility, so long as they’re not linebackers.
The Equinox EV has a decent but not huge cargo area capable of holding 26.4 cubic feet of stuff behind the rear seatbacks. Fold them (almost) flat and that area grows to 57.2 cubes.
Interior materials are fine for the price, and Chevy generally did a nice job scattering small-item storage areas around the cabin. Only the side-hinged center console lid stands out as a miss.
2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV Safety
The 2025 Chevy Equinox offers the impressive Super Cruise system.
How safe is the Chevrolet Equinox EV?
We can’t say for certain since neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS has tested one. For now, the lineup stands unscored.
All Equinox models include the kind of crash-avoidance tech we expect in a modern car: forward and reverse automatic emergency braking, active lane control, lane-departure warnings, rear cross-traffic alerts, and pedestrian/cyclist detection.
Adaptive cruise control is optional, and high-end models can be fitted with the automaker’s impressive Super Cruise system that allow for long stints of true hands-off/eyes-on driving. Super Cruise is free for three years and switches to a subscription model thereafter, though.
2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV Features
The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV now costs just $34,995 to start.
The Chevy Equinox EV is a pretty good value, with a decent amount of tech in its least costly version, good safety tech, and a terrific infotainment system with Google built-in. It’s an 8 on the TCC scale.
The base LT trim has an 11.0-inch digital instrument cluster, a 17.7-inch touchscreen, remote and hands-free start, cloth seats with manual adjustment, and typical crash-avoidance tech. Don’t look for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, though, as General Motors has chosen to exclude these features from its latest round of EVs.
Which Chevrolet Equinox EV should I buy?
Chevy dropped the previous LT2 trim but made its features optional. At $43,295, it has a power tailgate, power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, and a few other niceties. It’s probably worth the extra cost for most shoppers.
Think carefully about all-wheel drive, though. It costs a hefty $3,400 more since it includes a second electric motor. It’s quicker, but it also results in a big range cut.
How much is a fully loaded Chevrolet Equinox EV?
A top-end Equinox EV RS with every option will run you north of $50,000. These models have 21-inch alloy wheels, Super Cruise, and a big sunroof. Note that Super Cruise is a subscription item after a three-year trial period. At $25 per month, it may be hard for some drivers to justify.
2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV Fuel Economy
The 2025 Chevy Equinox EV isn’t the most efficient in its segment, but its 319-mile range impresses.
Is the Chevrolet Equinox EV good on energy?
It’s not great at energy efficiency at 108 MPGe with front-wheel drive or just 96 MPGe with all-wheel drive and that system’s second motor. Some competitors can top 110 MPGe.
That said, the Equinox EV offers a 319-mile range using the EPA’s test, though all-wheel-drive models are estimated at just 285 miles. Either way, those are pretty good figures.
The Equinox EV comes with an 11.5-kw onboard charger that, in ideal conditions, can add about 36 miles of range per hour on a Level 2 charger. A Level 3 charger can add as much as 77 miles of range in 10 minutes, though conditions will vary greatly.