After climbing into the driver’s seat of the all-new 2024 Chevy Blazer EV, key fob in pocket, I was greeted with the following message on the model’s 11-inch diagonal instrument panel: Key Detected Press Brake To Start. Exactly like the 2024 Chevy Silverado EV, the all-new Blazer EV has no vehicle stop-start button. Simply get in, press the brake pedal, push the gear drive selector (on the right hand steering wheel stalk) down into Drive, and drive.
As some of you may have guessed from an article we published last week, I was invited by Chevy to get some time in the Blazer EV RS RWD (rear-wheel-drive) as well as the Blazer EV RS AWD (all-wheel-drive) last week in San Diego, California. In this write-up, I’ll cover the RWD model, followed by the AWD model in a separate article. For those who would rather watch rather than read, the video embedded below is for you.
The 2024 Blazer EV is aimed at the heart of the developing EV landscape, with a good amount of room and plenty of tech. Perhaps most importantly, the Blazer EV demonstrates the flexibility of the EV-dedicated GM BEV3 platform, as the vehicle is available not only in RWD and AWD, but also in front-wheel-drive (FWD).
The rear-drive Blazer RS model I drove featured a 102 kWh battery pack along with a rear-mounted motor rated at 340 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, for a maximum driving range (from a single charge) of 324 miles. If those figures seem familiar, that’s because they are identical to those of the Cadillac Lyriq RWD, and for good reason – the battery and motor are essentially identical between the Blazer EV and Lyriq rear-drive models.
The rear-drive Blazer RS I drove was finished in a unique color called Galaxy Gray Metallic (color code GJY), a predominantly gray color that could unquestionably identify as light purple in some lighting conditions. Technically a high-end 2RS model (a more spartan-equipped 1RS will likely join the lineup later), it was well-equipped with ventilated and heated seats, wireless phone charging, and high-gloss Black accents throughout. The sticker price on this particular unit was around $61,000 USD.
In typical electric vehicle fashion, the Blazer EV’s propulsion system brings on instant, smooth, silent and effortless acceleration. One jab of the throttle, and San Diego’s oftentimes heavy traffic became a small dot in the rearview mirror Rear Camera Mirror. This healthy straight line performance is complemented by impressive agility, as the Blazer EV RS RWD was an absolute blast to drive through San Diego’s twisty backcountry roads, which – much to my surprise – proved to be in somewhat rough shape.
Luckily, the Blazer EV tackled them with no sweat, keeping body motions and body roll to a minimum, while keeping the road imperfections at bay. In the twisties, the Blazer EV complies with long sweepers and hairpins in a pinch, turning agreeably and decidedly. I remember feeling similar levels of agility in the Cadillac Lyriq, but much to my surprise, the Blazer EV seemed even more agile. As if that wasn’t enough, steering wasn’t completely devoid of feedback either, though I imagine that this is far from a priority for the overwhelming majority of would-be Blazer EV buyers.
Two factors contribute to this athleticism – the battery and the tires. The battery is the heaviest component of any electric vehicle. Placing the Blazer EV’s Ultium Battery between its wheels lowers the center of mass/gravity, allowing the vehicle’s chassis and suspension to work considerably less than it would on what’s certainly not a light vehicle (Blazer EV RS RWD has a curb weight of 5,591 pounds). On to the tires.
Though the Bridgestone Alenza A/S 02 tire is a grand touring tire without particular sporting intensions, the rubber’s 275/45R21 dimensions certainly helped distribute the curb weight across more road contact points. I imagine that a more sporty tire, like a Michelin Pilot Sport, would take the agility even further.
Braking is another area in which the Blazer EV excels. Stepping on the brake pedal delivered a strong and confident performance. The brake pedal was well modulated, with just the right amount of travel between contact and the pads making contact with the rotors.
The NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) levels were very low, keeping the cabin very quiet. That’s no easy task with an EV, as there is no internal combustion engine to drown out other kinds of noises like wind and tire/road noise. The Blazer EV makes mincemeat of this lack of ICE noise. Similarly, there’s no vibration or harshness of any kind, at least none that I felt, anyway.
On the highway, the Blazer EV is calm and collected, delivering relaxed and effortless cruising. While my tester did have the less advanced Adaptive Cruise Control, I did miss Super Cruise, which would have been nice to have, albeit at the expense of an even higher price.
In a few words, the Blazer EV strikes a very healthy balance between sportiness and comfort, all in an attractive package both inside and out, while packing in a whole bunch of the latest technology. It’s a very dialed-in vehicle, with the only potential demerit being its high sticker price when compared to its gasoline-powered counterpart.
There is a whole lot more to unpack about the 2024 Chevy Blazer EV, which we’ll be doing over the course of this month, so be sure to subscribe to GM Authority for more Chevy Blazer EV news, Chevy, news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
Now that the ICE Blazer has tumbled into the dreadful reliability category (according to CR), it’ll be interesting to see how the EV fares. Not much better, for at least the first year, I’ll bet. Buyer beware.
Though I can’t speak to reliability after driving the vehicle for two days, I will say that the Blazer EV is a completely different vehicle than the ICE Blazer… so inferring reliability of one from the other doesn’t make any sense to me.
@Alex, can you confirm if phone projection works (instead of built in CarPlay/AA? I’ve been reading contradictory information on this.
I’m afraid I don’t follow. What kind of phone projection do you have in mind – general pairing via Bluetooth, or something else?
I think what he’s getting at, is do we have access to audio and google maps from our phone without using the GM interface?
You should still be able to Bluetooth your music to the vehicle and answer phone calls. In my ’23 Sierra (which has the newest Google-based infotainment system), when I used Bluetooth only, not CarPlay, the album artwork did not come over…it just showed a music note for the album. If you were to set a map destination on your phone, you can hear the directions over Bluetooth, but it will not project onto the screen. If you pay for the data (which these new cars should come with 3 years of OnStar and Data right on the window sticker), you might be able to send a destination over in Google Maps, but not Apple Maps. These new EV radios do not have Android Auto or CarPlay built in, so it would be just like using your phone in any other vehicle…all Bluetooth.
Ok, so you can still pair via Bluetooth to play and browse on-smartphone content like music, podcasts, audiobooks, etc. Regular phone should work, the same goes for Siri Eyes Free and Google Assistant. I just wrote about 1,000 words on GM’s reasoning for dropping Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, right here:
https://gmauthority.com/blog/2023/12/heres-the-real-reason-that-gm-is-dropping-apple-carplay-android-auto/
That’s an…interesting…color. 🤢
Sucks that such a good looking car is so expensive and electric. Could have been an awesome ice car
To play devil’s advocate, consider this:
Blazer RS (ICE) starts at $45K, and transacts closer to $50K (with a few key options).
Blazer EV RS I drove is $62K. Subtract the $7.5K in federal tax credit, and you get $54.5K, which is a lot closer to the $50K transaction price of the RS ICE model. For $4.5K more, you get A LOT more of everything with the Blazer EV – more tech, more screen, faster acceleration, better handling, substantially better NVH, and an overall better driving experience that would rival many luxury vehicles on sale today.
Peugeot and Opel have been smart offering most vehicles in ICE, hybrid, EV. I get Ultium is EV only but both ICE and EV should at least look the same. Equinox, too,
I keep reading Ultium is good, that GM China is working on Ultium 2, but a flexible platform might have served GM better as people adapt and technology evolves.
Maybe GM can take on Tesla but I doubt it. EV is niche and US buyers worship Tesla. Bolt only did well because of price
The problem with making ICE and EVs on the same architecture is that neither one ends up being particularly outstanding. In fact, you end up with mediocre products on both sides of the spectrum (at best), and horrible products (at worst).
Example: look at the mess BMW has created with making the 5 Series and 7 Series electric and ICE on the same platform. These models, which were the epitome of their segments, now look like absolute dog $hit with strange proportions and weird design elements.
EVs are built differently, they drive differently, and they appeal to different buyers… so I do not see any problem with having ICE models look different from their electric counterparts.
Let’s see where GM EVs are once it gets its production ramped. The product is already on par or better than Tesla. This is currently the biggest stumbling block for GM in the EV space.
When you say “strange proportions and weird design elements”, you describe the Blazer EV perfectly. Flat out, an odd duck from stem to stern, with a mail slot cargo area and useless real outward visibility. What is the point of gluing in a big piece of quarter glass, only to block 80% of the viewing area from the inside?
People bought the Bolt on price , but most owners love their cars
So more expensive than the almost identical caddy Lyriq Tech which Is $3,000 to $4,000 less.
Plus u get free installation (up to ‘$1,500) of a 220 receptacle or 24 months of EVGO free charging, with the Lyriq.
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Alan Luft never mentions how obtuse the new displays are.
Bill – the name is Alex Luft. Remember it, you’ll be hearing it A LOT.
Now, the Lyriq Tech is not “almost identical.” The Tech trim is as bare bones as it gets, lacking heated seats, seat ventilation, and various other features like Rear Camera Mirror, Adaptive Cruise Control, and more. A Lyriq equipped like the Blazer RS RWD would be the the Luxury 2 or Sport 2 trims, which starts around $70K.
Highway-wise, what are you getting for range?
How long does it take to charge from almost drained to 80%?
How many miles will that get you if you are only charging to 80%?
When my wife had a ’22 Blazer AWD with the 2.0L Turbo, we could easily get over 550 miles per tank on the highway. I made a 950 mile trip from Massachusetts to Michigan and only had to stop once in New York to fill up (after about 550 miles). I made the last 400 mile leg of the trip with about a 1/4 tank of gas to spare. I have heard that the Blazer EV gets around 288 miles of range, but if you only charge to 80%, that will only get you about 230 miles. On that 950 mile trip, I would have needed to stop and charge at least 4-5 times making the trip a lot longer than 13 hours.
People bought the Bolt on price , but most owners love their cars
The Blazer EV body on a Camaro platform would have been perfect!
I got to see this blazer in red at my local Chevy dealer and it looks assume, my issue is the weight. 5,500 pounds for awd, damn that’s a lot of weight. My 02 Silverado was around that. They need to put these vehicles on a diet.