2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV revealed to rival Tesla Model Y

Chevrolet has revealed the 2024 Blazer EV, its first electric vehicle to wear the SS badge and offer a pursuit-rated variant for police.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y rival will also offer, unusually, the choice of front-, rear- or all-wheel drive, with a range of different albeit as-yet unspecified battery sizes.

The range will open with the front-wheel drive 1LT with a claimed 398km of range, followed by the front- or all-wheel drive 2LT with 472km of range.

The RS is available with either front-, rear- or all-wheel drive, depending on the battery pack selected, with Chevrolet citing a claimed 515km of range.

The range-topping SS offers a claimed 467km of range and is available exclusively with dual-motor all-wheel drive.

Chevrolet hasn’t specified what cycle these range estimates are based on.

The Police Pursuit Vehicle (PPV) is based on the SS, but will be offered with both dual-motor all-wheel drive and single-motor rear-wheel drive and will feature an interior designed to accommodate police officers’ often bulky equipment.

The 2LT and RS will go on sale first in the northern summer of 2023, priced from US$47,595 (A$70,094).

They’ll be followed by the SS later in 2023, priced from US$65,995 (A$96,367), and subsequently the PPV police model and the US$44,995 (A$64,534) 1LT in the first quarter of 2024.

Based on GM’s Ultium underpinnings, the Blazer EV features the long wheelbase and tight overhangs expected of a dedicated electric vehicle but with a range of styling cues designed to give it a familial resemblance to the existing Blazer crossover, itself inspired inside and out by the Camaro.

All models have DC fast-charging capability of up to 190kW and feature an 11.5kW onboard AC charger, while GM also includes access to its Ultium Charge 360 which allows owners access to more than 100,000 public charging points across the US and Canada.

The Blazer EV features levels of regenerative braking including a one-pedal driving mode.

Chevrolet has thus far only released power and torque figures for the range-topping SS, which will produce up to 415kW of power and 878Nm of torque when in Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode.

When in WOW mode, the Blazer EV SS’s 0-60mph (0-96km/h) time is less than four seconds.

The SS also features a unique suspension tune, black roof, 22-inch alloy wheels and Brembo front brakes.

The RS’ wheels are only slightly smaller at 21 inches, and it shares the SS’ full-width front light bar and illuminated bowtie logo.

Both feature their own unique grille designs, each with a look more evocative of a combustion-powered vehicle than the LT models with their body-colour grille area.

While all models feature LED lighting, the RS and SS feature a choreographed lighting sequence.

The front lighting also shows the state of charge while the vehicle is charging.

Inside the Blazer EV, there’s a standard 17.7-inch touchscreen infotainment system and an 11-inch digital instrument cluster.

RS and SS models get a hands-free power tailgate, heated and ventilated front seats, colour-adjustable ambient lighting, blue or red contrast stitching, and a heated flat-bottom steering wheel, with the SS also getting heated outboard rear seats and sueded microfibre upholstery.

There’s no start button, with the vehicle turning on when you press the brake pedal after closing the door.

The Blazer EV features GM’s new Ultifi11 software platform, supporting over-the-air updates and downloadable apps and features.

Safety equipment includes autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, reverse AEB, and lane-keep assist.

The Blazer EV will also offer semi-automatic parking assist plus GM’s Super Cruise Level 2 autonomous driving feature, which supports hands-free driving on compatible roads across the US and Canada.

The Blazer EV will be one of a trio of new Chevrolet electric vehicles launching next year, alongside a more affordable Equinox EV crossover and the Silverado EV pickup truck.

General Motors is launching a slew of dedicated electric vehicles across its Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC brands, having started with the Ultium-based GMC Hummer EV and Cadillac Lyriq.

Its CEO, Mary Barra, has doubled down on remarks she made last year, telling The Associated Press that her company will beat Tesla in US electric vehicle sales by the middle of the decade.

It sold only 25,000 electric vehicles last year in the US against 352,000 Tesla vehicles, however that figure consisted almost entirely of a single model: the Chevrolet Bolt.

GM’s local operation, GM Specialty Vehicles, has yet to announce any EVs for the local market. It’s instead focusing on V8-powered vehicles like the factory right-hand drive C8 Corvette and the locally remanufactured Silverado pickup truck.

Click an image to view the full gallery.