Chevrolet Blazer EV Coming In Summer 2023 To Challenge Mach-E, Model Y And Bad Guys

2023 is set to be a critical year for General Motors
GM
’ plan to shift its lineup entirely to electrification. Among the nearly ten EVs expected to debut by the end of next year are battery powered versions of three of Chevrolet’s top selling nameplates, the Silverado, Equinox and Blazer. The Silverado and Equinox are probably the most important entries for very different reasons, but the Blazer will anchor the in-between slot against some tough competition.

The Silverado is Chevrolet’s volume leader and cash cow and it will face off directly against the Ford F-150 Lightning, Ram 1500 EV and perhaps someday a Tesla
TSLA
Cybertruck. With the decline of sedan sales the compact crossover segment has become the largest non-truck segment and while not a market leader, the Equinox is still a strong seller. The electric version which is targeted to have a starting price of $30,000 should be an affordable entry into that key segment and the vehicle that really brings the mainstream to EVs.

The Blazer which for decades adorned Chevy’s large two-door SUVs was revived in 2019 as a midsize crossover described as the Camaro of the segment. While it lacks the volumes of the Equinox or the three-row Traverse, its higher price point makes it an appealing business case. Given the success of the similarly sized Tesla Model Y and now the Ford Mustang Mach-E, it also makes sense that Chevrolet would want an electric entry.

Like all of GM’s other new EVs, the 2024 Blazer will utilize the Ultium electric propulsion system including batteries, motors, power electronics and heat pump-based climate control system. Based on the preliminary specifications provided by Chevrolet, this vehicle is very clearly aimed directly at the aforementioned Mach-E with nearly identical driving ranges and price points.

At this point, Chevrolet isn’t providing full specifications on the Blazer EV, but during a background briefing ahead of the reveal it was very clearly similar in size to the Mach-E and Model Y but with a distinct look. It is said to be similar in size to the current Blazer which is about six inches longer than the Ford and Tesla and five inches shorter than the Cadillac Lyriq.

Rather than the sloping rear roofline of its competitors, Chevy designers have retained a wagon-like profile more similar to traditional SUVs, but at the same time very different from the current ICE Blazer. Rather than the upward sloping rear beltline, with a very thick rear pillar, the EV has more glass wrapping around and better visibility.

Unlike the Tesla, the Blazer retains something that looks like a grille at the front, but blanked off. Like the Mach-E, the faux grille is body color on the base LT trims, but framed in black to help break up the bland expanse found on the Tesla. As with many other new EVs, Chevrolet is relying on lighting signatures to provide some character. Interestingly, the Blazer’s front signature lights bear an uncanny resemblance to the “Thor’s hammer” lights on current Volvo and Polestar models. Chevrolet designers explain that they are retaining the dual element cue lost from current Chevy grilles in the two-part light structure. It’s attractive and works with the sporty nature of the Blazer even if it’s not particularly original.

The flanks of the Blazer build on the sculpting of the ICE model and add a deep scallop that looks somewhat like a vent behind the front wheels. Part of this on the driver’s side serves as a charge port door that powers open when touched, much like the unit on the Cadillac Lyriq. Overall, aside from the lights, it’s a genuinely distinct look that provides an interesting alternative to the Mach-E and Modely Y.

On the inside, the Blazer EV is a notable advance from its ICE namesake. The show car we saw was an SS but aside from the color combinations and some options, the LT and RS trims are said to have the same materials and fit and finish. The round vents of the current model are retained and feature some interesting fluting around the perimeter. Unlike the Tesla with its hidden vents that must be adjusted through the touchscreen interface, these can be directly manipulated quickly without looking, an advantage while driving.

The instrument cluster consists of an 11-inch display while the central touchscreen measures 17.7 inches and is canted slightly toward the driver. Like other new GM vehicles, this one features an infotainment system powered by Android Automotive which includes the Google
GOOG
Assistant, Maps and Play store to download apps directly. Those that prefer an Apple
AAPL
look can also use wireless CarPlay.

As is the case with the Lyriq and Mach-e, the floor is completely flat and there is ample room for five adults between the two rows. The rear leg room is particularly spacious, like the Cadillac. The liftgate wasn’t working on the show car, but cargo space in the back should also be plentiful although like the Cadillac, there is no frunk. One interesting detail Chevrolet is adding is the ability for the tailgate to automatically open when you approach the vehicle with a key fob without waving your foot around aimlessly below the rear bumper.

One of the big advantages of an electric propulsion system is that it’s very easy to mix and match components for different use cases. The Blazer EV is taking more advantage of this than any prior EV or GM vehicle of any type. This will be the first model offered by GM with the choice of front wheel drive, rear drive or all-wheel drive. The base 1LT gets a front motor while the middle RS can get any of the three configurations. The top end SS is only going to be offered in a dual motor setup with up to 557 hp and 648 lb-ft of torque.

GM’s family of Ultium drive units includes motors in five different sizes and outputs with the top model generating between 330 and 340-hp. That’s the motor used in the rear axle of the Lyriq and in a triple configuration on the Hummer. The Blazer likely has the next unit down in size at each axle which would be approximately 275-hp each. This would be 77-hp and 14 lb-ft more than the Mach-E GT
GT
performance edition and over 100-hp more than the Model Y performance.

Chevrolet is projecting a 0-60 time of under 4 seconds for the Blazer which would put it in the same ballpark as its competitors even with more power and torque. The Blazer is likely to be at least several hundred pounds heavier than the Ford and Tesla which weigh in at 4,989 and 4,555 lbs respectively. The Lyriq weighs over 5,600 lbs and the Blazer probably falls somewhere between.

As with the Ford, the Blazer EV will be offered with at least two different battery capacities. Chevrolet isn’t saying exactly what those sizes will be, but the top version is probably the same 12-module 100-kWh setup as the Cadillac to deliver 320 miles of range with the RWD setup. The smaller version will probably be 10 modules with about 80-kWh capacity. Both of those are slightly larger than the Mach-E equivalents. The base FWD Blazer is projected to deliver 247 miles of range, exactly the same as the EPA rating for the base Mach-E. Other combinations will fall somewhere between those.

Like other Ultium-based EVs from GM, the Blazer will utilize GM’s new heat pump energy recovery system for heating and cooling, improving overall efficiency and offsetting some of the weight disadvantages GM seems to have on its EVs.

GM does have a charging speed advantage over Ford, although not Tesla. The Blazer EV will support 240V AC home charging at up 11.5-kW and DC fast charging at 190-kW, outpacing the 7.7-kW and 150-kW of the Mach-E. On an appropriate DC fast charger, the Blazer can add up to 78 miles of range in 10 minutes.

Like other new GM vehicles, the Blazer will also be available with its hands-free Super Cruise driving assist system. This is still the best such system on the market and now features both on-demand and automatic lane changing capabilities. Like the Lyriq, the Blazer will get the latest version of the system that is transitioning to running on the Qualcomm Snapdragon Ride compute platform. The Lyriq is equipped with the hardware from launch, but GM engineers are still working on the software updates for the new compute and customers will have the feature updated over the air later this year. It should be available from day one when the Blazer launches.

Speaking of software, the Blazer EV will be among the first GM EVs to utilize the Ultifi platform. Ultifi was announced in fall 2021 and is a software development platform that separates applications from the underlying hardware. It provides access to vehicle data from sensors and actuators to applications through programming interfaces (APIs). GM engineers will build applications such as Super Cruise, infotainment, propulsion control and body controls using these APIs and they can be maintained even if the hardware changes. Third parties will also be able to build applications using the same APIs. This is all part of the transition to the software defined vehicle for GM.

There will be five variants of the Blazer EV. Consumers can choose from 1LT, 2LT, RS and SS. Chevrolet will also be the first automaker in North America to offer an official police package on an EV with the Blazer police pursuit vehicle. Ford included the stock Mach-E GT in the Michigan State Police testing program in fall 2021, but police found a number of issues to be resolved before they would consider it for use. Ford is apparently working on a police version of the Mach-E but it hasn’t been announced yet.

The Blazer EV will be produced at the same plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico where the ICE Blazer is produced today, alongside the old version. The middle 2LT and RS trims go on sale in summer 2023 priced at $47,595 and $51,995 respectively. Later in the fall, the high performance SS arrives at $65,595. In the first quarter of 2024, the base 1LT at $44,995. Those prices seem slightly higher than the Mach-E, but GM also includes delivery charges in its pricing now, so the equivalents are nearly the same and Mach-E prices are likely to rise by the time the Blazer arrives. The Blazer EV PPV will be launching around the same time as the 1LT but GM doesn’t announce pricing for fleet models.

The Blazer EV appears well positioned to be an important part of Chevrolet’s EV lineup. It’s unlikely to the top seller in that lineup but it will likely be considerably more profitable than the Equinox EV and also provide a real performance option until the brand decides whether to produce an electric Camaro to go along with the upcoming battery powered Corvette.