This EV Review is written by employee-owner Chuck Hayward, EV Analyst.
On September 17th, ReVision is hosting an EV Ride and Drive with South Portland-based Pape Chevrolet. Participants will have a chance to test drive Chevy’s new electric vehicle offerings: the crossover Equinox, the mid-size Blazer SUV, and the full-size Silverado truck. In preparation, Pape Chevrolet generously agreed to let me do an extended test drive of the Blazer EV. I spent a recent Friday morning driving around Maine on one of those beautiful, end-of-summer days, driving a mix of Route 1 on the coast, county roads, and I-295 to experience it in all conditions.
Chevy’s new EVs are built on the shared Ultium platform, meaning these vehicles were purpose-built to be EVs; they’re not just the gas model with an electric motor replacing their engine and a gas tank swapped for batteries. And yet, despite being designed as an EV, the Blazer doesn’t feel like an EV; it very much feels like a Chevy.
This will position the vehicle well for buyers who would like to save money on fuel but are not quite ready to switch to current EV offerings that can feel futuristic and strange. Drivers who don’t like minimalist EV interiors without buttons, or even a lever for turn signals sometimes, will feel comfortable in Chevy’s EVs. Chevy EVs have plenty of buttons and familiar controls. For example, you push the shifter down to go forward but up to go backward. This is reversed from what you might expect in other EVs but replicates the feel of a column shifter in a gas vehicle.
Another choice that seems intentionally familiar is the center console. EVs don’t have transmissions or exhaust systems, so they don’t need the big hump in the middle of the floor that houses those systems in gas vehicles. Instead of taking advantage of this with flat, open floors or massive center storage consoles like some EV manufacturers do, Chevy opted for a traditional center console with some small storage bins. Personally, I think this is a miss since large EV consoles finally provided a convenient place for a purse or large water bottle.
The ride of the Blazer EV doesn’t scream "I’m an EV!" It feels like a smoother, quieter version of other Chevy vehicles. There are no lurches as it shifts through gears, just a smooth, steady electric ride. The EV feature of one-pedal driving is smooth, responsive, and easily turned off from a touch-screen button that’s right on the home screen. The acceleration was much faster than gas versions, making highway merging less stressful, but not dragstrip-fast like some other EVs. It strikes the balance for what this vehicle is designed to be: a comfortable family vehicle.
The Blazer EV’s other high point (pun intended) is the ground clearance, rated at 7.9 inches. Excluding electric trucks, most EVs are in the 5” to 7” range. The extra couple inches aren’t enough to make this a trail vehicle but will be appreciated when venturing down a dirt road for a hike or wading through New England’s many potholes.
Modern vehicles are increasingly defined by their software; GM caused quite a stir when they decided to do away with Apple CarPlay in favor of in-house software. I found Chevy’s software to be intuitive and responsive. The navigation system has CarPlay’s best feature (Google Maps) built in. Turns out it’s even better when built in. Since it interfaces directly with the vehicle, it knows how the battery is doing and can provide route planning that includes charging stops and timing. This is a key feature for making EV accessible to the average driver who just wants to get in and drive instead of having to pre-plan trips using phone apps like early adopters did. A video shows this better than photos will, so check out Chevy’s.
I liked that the driver’s display had layout options to suit different drivers’ preferences: traditional round gauges with various measurements, data-rich displays, directions-integrated displays, and a simple one that only features the current speed. The screens were easy to read even in full sun, as you can see in my photos.
Different dash displays for different user preferences.
The Blazer is not the most efficient car on the market, regardless of gas or electric model. It’s a midsize SUV, making it inevitably more expensive than smaller cars no matter the fuel source. The 3.6-liter V6 with AWD gas version is rated 21 mpg and is the most directly comparable to the performance of the AWD electric version, which is rated at 35 kWh/100 miles. What does this mean in real-world terms? For Pape Chevrolet customers charging at home in southern Maine, the standard residential electricity rate of $0.21/kWh means that electric “fuel” will be like paying $1.54/gallon compared to the gas version – less than half the current cost of gas! If you have solar, it’s even cheaper. And if you don’t have solar, ReVision is here to help. We even offer Community Solar Farm shares if you can’t put solar on your roof.
If you lease the EV version through Pape, they're currently less than the gas versions. If you're looking to purchase, the EV version I drove costs about $2,300 MSRP more than the comparable gas version. Using the numbers above, that premium would be paid off through gas savings after only about 25,000 miles of driving. In that same time period, you will also avoid 3 oil changes by driving electric, leading to even more savings.
Chevy has put some large batteries in their EVs, meaning you’ve got considerable range before you’ll need to charge again. The AWD version is rated for 279 miles on a charge and the RWD version is rated for 324 miles. When you do need to charge, the Blazer tops out around 150kW. It’s not the fastest on the market, but it’s well-suited for a family road trip where you can fast charge on a lunch break.
What the Blazer lacks in efficiency, it makes up for with comfort and room for all your stuff. It’s a mid-size SUV and has plenty of room for passengers and cargo. I’m 6’ 4” and I had plenty of room in the driver’s seat to adjust it to a comfortable position. I left the seat where it was, then climbed in back and still had 3” of extra legroom. So, you’ll be fine even if you need to fit a basketball team in both the front and backseats at the same time.
The Blazer EV shines as a roomy, comfortable family hauler. It’s perfect for running daily errands around town and charging at home each day. When you do need to road-trip, the long-range battery will help minimize charging stops. The Blazer EV is perfect for people who are tired of paying for gas, but still need a larger vehicle for multiple passengers or lots of cargo. It’s not futuristic, so it will feel comfortable and familiar for mainstream buyers when they are ready for a smoother, cheaper, electric vehicle.
Join us at Pape Chevrolet on September 17th from 4-6 PM to check it out yourself. They’ll also have the smaller Equinox EV and the Silverado EV if a truck is more your style.
