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Access to Tesla Superchargers is a game changer.
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Small details in the design make the Equinox EV feel special.
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Equinox EV doesn’t sacrifice style for functionality and offers tons of storage space.
I spent a few days driving the new Chevrolet Equinox EV and some of its features quickly stood out as my favorites.
This isn’t the first time I’ve been behind the wheel of the Equinox EV; I drove the crossover SUV for the first time this summer on a short, pre-planned route.
What’s different this time is that I’ve had the car for a total of seven days and have already been working on integrating it into my daily life to test Chevy’s claim that this is an electric vehicle for the masses.
From charging to styling and unexpected features, the Equinox EV has worked well as a family vehicle built for suburban life. These 5 things have impressed me so far:
1. Access to Tesla Superchargers
This is honestly a game changer. GM’s cars just gained access to the Supercharger network in September.
I’ve driven the Chevrolet Bolt EV many times over the years, and the biggest struggle has always been finding a reliable place to plug in.
Tesla has always had the most robust and reliable charging network, and having access to that has taken a lot of the stress out of keeping the Equinox EV powered up.
Using the NACS adapter GM gave me for this test drive, I was able to fill up at one of the dozens of Supercharger stations within driving distance of my house.
Charging from 53% to 80% took about 35 minutes and cost $10.00.
2. Super Cruise for highway driving
The Equinox EV I have this week comes equipped with GM’s hands-free highway driving system, Super Cruise.
As a suburbanite, I spend a lot of time on the highway getting to and from the city. The freeways in Metro Detroit can be stressful to navigate, and having Super Cruise (with automatic lane change!) has taken a lot of that pressure off my commute.
Supercruise is also easy to use. Like traditional cruise control systems, I activate it by touching a button on the steering wheel and deactivate it by tapping the brake.
For automatic lane changing, all I have to do is turn on a turn signal, and the car will automatically change lanes if there is an opening. That is a solution in rush hour traffic on the highway.
3. So much trunk space
The Equinox EV is not a large car from the outside, but like many other electric cars it has a surprising amount of space on the inside.
As a mom in a home with a toddler, two dogs, and two cats, the amount of trunk space in the Equinox EV is a huge selling point for me.
With the rear seats folded, the Equinox EV offers up to 57.2 cubic feet of maximum cargo space. That’s compared to the 54.7 cubic feet maximum cargo space in my Subaru Crosstrek, which is similar in size to the Equinox EV.
4. Door handles that greet me as I approach the vehicle
The Equinox EV has a lot of little features that set it apart from its gas counterpart.
Perhaps the first thing any driver will experience are the mechanical door handles, which sit flush with the exterior when the car is locked and unfold to greet the driver when the car is unlocked. It is also a useful visual aid to remember if the car is locked.
This design feature is a direct nod to Tesla, the creator of this door handle design. It’s a nice touch too.
In the Equinox EV, the automatic mechanical door handles make this capable and family-friendly crossover feel just a little more elevated. And if you’re concerned about frozen door handles, as Tesla drivers have reported, Chevy says it has addressed it with an ice-breaking algorithm built into the handles.
5. The Equinox EV has an attractive appearance
You can tell that the Chevy team designed the Equinox EV to stand out from its gas-powered sibling.
The front of the Equinox EV is sleeker, with a hood that slopes down into narrow headlights, giving the car a unique look at night.
The car has been turning heads and starting conversations in parking lots since I started driving it around town, which is certainly not something I can say about the gas-powered Equinoxes I’ve driven in the past.
Read the original article on Business Insider
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