A few weeks ago, the EV media and social media scenes weren’t happy with GM. Why? Because there was a broken a promise. Well, technically it wasn’t a promise, but the company had said the aim was to sell it at a $30,000 starting price, effectively making it the Bolt’s successor. But, now the whole situation has changed.
For one, the Bolt’s coming back, but only a version of the EUV variant. But, when it returns, it’s going to emerge from an assembly line in Kansas with an improved battery pack, better software, and much better charging speeds. Exact pricing hasn’t been announced, but it seems that the generation 1.5 Bolt (it won’t be a completely new design) will be a good way for GM to maintain low prices and maybe even make a few bucks on each one.
So, we shouldn’t be too terribly surprised that GM has moved the Equinox EV up a slot in the price tiers. The company has to make money like the rest of us, and there’s a plan to offer cheaper EVs that the company’s actively working on.
Why Not Get The Next Bolt?
Personally, I probably won’t trade in for the next-gen Bolt. I’m very happy with my EUV, and think GM is very likely to get it right again. But, at the same time, I’ve run up against the vehicle’s limits in a number of ways.
While the next half-gen of Bolt will have faster charging and a lithium-iron battery, it’s probably not going to be available with rear-drive or all-wheel-drive. Really, that’s my only gripe about the EUV. On some trips into the forest, I’ve been surprised at how well a combination of truck tires (Michelin LTX) and traction control manages to deliver torque to the dirt. But, having two more drive wheels with those advantages would have gotten me some places that the front-drive EUV couldn’t go.
Another thing I’m hoping to get with the Equinox in the future is some more range and towing capacity. Technically, the EUV has zero pounds of towing capacity, but I’ve had no problem whatsoever towing up to 2,000 lbs with a Torklift EcoHitch. Range obviously suffers, but with some planning and an efficient trailer, I’ve found that it’s perfectly usable. But, I’d like to have a little more battery capacity to stop at fewer chargers and reach the backcountry on camping trips more easily. Also, being able to pull 3000 would be quite nice for some of the little camping trailers I’ve got my eye on.
Why Not Get A Tesla?
One thing I’ve seen a lot since the higher prices got announced is people saying that you’re better off to get a Tesla Model Y or something.
The biggest thing in the way is that I just don’t like them. Everyone’s allowed to have their own tastes, obviously, but I don’t like the minimalist interior with no gauge cluster, stalks, or manual controls for the shifter. I’ve seen people describe them as “Walmart on wheels”, but Walmart is honest more well-featured and accessible. I’m not a big fan of the roofline of the Model Y, either. It’s just badly proportioned from some angles.
But, even if it was more to my liking, I still wouldn’t go for it these days. When Elon Musk was getting into milder Republican stuff, it wasn’t a huge deal. When he started going after parts of the LGBT community, it was bothersome, but people probably wouldn’t assume anything bad about you for driving the car. Now, with Elon telling people he agrees with anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, it’s just socially untenable for me.
I don’t want to tell the world that anti-Semitism wasn’t a dealbreaker for me, because it very much is.
Featured image by GM.
