General Motors has been in the news recently for battery fires related to its Chevrolet Bolt EV, but that hasn't slowed the automaker's electrified ambitions.
Speaking at the From Automaker to Platform Innovator event, GM President Mark Reuss confirmed the names of two upcoming Chevrolet EVs and the company has dropped hints on more electric offerings from Buick and other brands in its portfolio.
At the event, Reuss mentioned two new EV SUVs by name, first confirming an electric version of the Chevrolet Equinox is on its way.
We first started speculating on the possibility of an Equinox EV last year, when what appeared to be a version of the SUV was spotted on stage at a GM press event.
Reuss noted that the Equinox EV will be a high-volume model with a starting price of around $30,000.
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The Blazer EV hopefully won't cause a blaze
The other SUV on Chevy's EV list is the Blazer - a mid-size crossover SUV which has been around since 2019 and will now be blessed with a fully electric drivetrain.
Like the Equinox EV, Reuss said that the Blazer EV would be an affordable model with high-volume production goals.
Though he didn't specify a price for the Blazer EV, it's likely to be more expensive than the smaller Equinox.
The two Chevrolet EVs, along with several others, will ride on GM's Ultium modular EV platform. In a related press release, the automaker mentioned Buick crossovers, and we already knew about the Cadillac Lyriq and Celestiq EVs.
General Motors' EV goals are ambitious, but the rewards for success are strong. GM says it expects its electric vehicle portfolio to generate significant revenue growth by the end of the decade.
Revenues are projected at $10 billion in 2023 and the automaker says its expectation is to push that number to $90 billion by 2030.
To get there, the automaker will shift more than half of its production capacity in North America and China to be EV-capable by 2030.
Our take: time for a new name
John McCann, Global Managing Editor
Chevrolet's decision to push the Blazer brand as its next electric car may raise a few eyebrows - it's certainly raised mine.
The firm has been in the news numerous times in 2021, over recalls of its Bolt EV after some cars burst into flames. In fact, it's now recalled every single Bolt EV from 2019 through 2022 in the US and Canada over fears of fire.
So surely, it would be wise to steer clear of words which could be associated with this form of combustion?
Moving to a fully electric drivetrain gives manufacturers a solid excuse to create a new brand name - this was a chance for Chevy to wipe the slate clean, put its troubles behind it and start afresh with something less unfortunately named considering recent events.
As it stands, the name 'Blazer' may not inspire huge confidence for consumers looking for an EV - especially as the competition continues to intensify in the burgeoning electric car space.
However, if Chevrolet can prove that its EV battery woes are firmly in the past, the affordable fully electric Blazer could be an attractive proposition - although we'll have to wait for more details on the car before passing further judgement.
