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Ahead of its scheduled arrival this coming fall, GM has shared its most in depth look at the 2024 Chevy Equinox EV yet in a video you can view below. By promising a starting price around $30,000, the Equinox EV is sure to capture plenty of customers, whether they are current GM owners or not. However, the American automaker has not yet shown all its cards when it comes to this electric compact SUV. Naturally, our curiosity (and impatience) has gotten the best of us, leading us to take our best guess at what consumers can truly expect to see.

GM shared news of its plans to bring an all-electric version of the Equinox when it bombarded the public with several announcements at CES early 2022 that also included an all-electric Chevy Silverado and Chevy Blazer EV.

Over the past year, GM has shared tidbits of new information surrounding the Equinox EV, including the five different trims that will become available, but we still know little about its price. One of the most appealing factors in the new electric SUV is that GM is promising it will start around $30,000 – a holy grail number many automakers have set their sites on, but few have actually delivered upon.

In March of 2022, GM shared a new video of the Equinox EV, sharing that it will sit atop the Ultium Platform, come equipped with Super Cruise, and feature a two-tone exterior on the LT trims you can see in the image below. No pricing at that point, but that’s understandable.

Last September, GM graced us with a slew of new details surrounding the Equinox EV, including its trim levels and estimated range for each, but still no price other than the long promised “around $30k.” Here’s how the trims will break down:

Equinox
EV Trim
Drivetrain GM Est. Range* Horsepower Torque Availability
1LT FWD w/
smaller battery
FWD (standard)
eAWD (available)
250 miles
300 miles
280 miles
N/A**
210 HP
290 HP
N/A**
242 lb-ft
346 lb-ft
Spring 2024
2LT / 2RS FWD (standard)
eAWD (available)
300 miles
280 miles
210 HP
290 HP
242 lb-ft
346 lb-ft
Spring 2024
3LT / 3RS FWD (standard)
eAWD (available)
300 miles
280 miles
210 HP
290 HP
242 lb-ft
346 lb-ft
Fall 2024
* – EPA estimates not yet available / ** – GM has not yet shared HP or torque for smaller battery

The $30,000 price tag will obviously apply to the FWD 1LT version of the Equinox EV – last on GM’s production to-do list, but what size will that smaller battery be? What about the standard Ultium battery pack, and how much more will that cost?

While we know a lot more about the Equinox than we did a year ago, we still have a lot of questions about specifications that are truly vital to consumers pondering going electric. Further still, those who are considering a GM brand EV.

Credit: YouTube/Chevrolet

Can Equinox EV deliver 250 mile range for its $30k price?

Chevrolet posted the video below to its YouTube page this week, sharing an in depth look at the Equinox EV, particularly the two-tone 3LT trim, but what about price? Not yet my friends, not yet.

Before we dig into that, let’s start with the battery pack. This pack exists as part of GM’s modular Ultium EV platform, the base to current models like the Hummer EV and Cadillac Lyriq, which will soon be joined by other models like the electric Blazer and GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition.

For the sake of comparison, the Lyriq is the closest in size and comes equipped with a 100 kWh battery pack that delivers an EPA estimated 312 miles of range. Based on the size and GM’s estimated range (not EPA) around 300, we’d expect the standard battery pack to be similar in the Equinox EV.

That would also mean the Equinox EV’s standard pack would deliver similar charge rates to the Cadillac Lyriq as well. GM’s luxury brand SUV currently accepts up to 190 kW on a DC fast charger, garnering up to 76 miles of range in about 10 minutes.

For the smaller pack, we think GM could lean down as far as 52 kWh to try and hit that $30k price point, but if so, we’d expect real world range to be lower than the 250 miles being estimated. Probably closer to 200 or 210 miles on a full charge.

If the low end price of the Equinox EV will be around $30,000, we’d expect the high end 3RS trim to come in right around $60k – especially when you figure the Lyriq starts just below $63,000. For consumer optics, we could see GM topping out at a price of $59,990 for the top tier Equinox because a “5” definitely looks more enticing than a “6,” especially in this economy.

Lastly, we want to be sure to relay that any mention of the Equinox EV price is purely speculative at this point until we hear official word from Chevy/GM. We also wanted to point out that when we got a peek inside the Equinox EV prototype at the LA Auto Show last fall, we saw a power outlet inside. GM has not mentioned that as a feature yet, so that will also be something to keep an eye on and potentially look forward to as we are sure to learn more before production begins in Mexico later this year.

You can check out the latest look at the the Chevy Equinox EV in the video below, hosted by product specialist, Dez.

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Tesla hires celebrity ambassador despite Elon Musk saying they don’t pay for endorsements

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Tesla hires celebrity ambassador despite Elon Musk saying they don't pay for endorsements

Tesla has hired a celebrity ambassador, a departure from Elon Musk’s policy of not paying for celebrity endorsements.

Musk has often bragged about the fact that Tesla doesn’t pay for celebrity endorsements in contrast to other automakers who hire celebrity brand ambassadors to promote their cars.

Much like advertising, Musk seems to be abandoning this strategy.

Tesla announced that it hired Olympic shooter Kim Ye-ji, whose performance at the Paris Olympics this summer went viral, to be the automaker’s brand ambassador in Korea.

Kim said about her new partnership with Tesla:

I’m very excited to work with Tesla, who have recognized me. I hope to convey a positive message together with Tesla.”

Here are a few pictures released to announce her new partnership with Tesla:

Kim’s agency said that her relationship with Tesla started from CEO Elon Musk tweeting about her viral performance at the Olympics:

“The relationship between Kim Ye-ji and Tesla developed after Elon Musk mentioned her. The company said that Kim is Tesla Korea’s first brand ambassador.”

She is not only Tesla Korea’s first ambassador, but she is the first known paid celebrity ambassador for Tesla globally.

The policy change is not entirely surprising since the policy of Musk not paying celebrities to endorse Tesla’s products was often attached to the automaker’s strategy not to advertise.

Musk went as far as to say that he “hates advertising,” and Tesla started advertising last year.

The change in strategy coincidently, or not, came after Musk bought Twitter, a company relying on advertising, and Tesla even started to advertise on Twitter, now called X.

Tesla sales in Korea haven’t been amazing, but the country’s auto market greatly favors domestic brands. The American automaker does fairly well for a foreign brand with the Model Y becoming the best-selling imported vehicle in Korea during the first half of 2024.

Although, it amounted to just over 10,000 units.

Electrek’s Take

It’s a change of strategy, and Elon certainly can’t claim that Tesla doesn’t pay for celebrities to endorse its products, but it is probably a smart move due to the fact that Koreans prefer domestic brands.

Kim could help create a deeper level of attachment to the Tesla brand, but I don’t really know. I’m just speculating.

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Kia smashes US sales record again in October with surging demand for EVs

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Kia smashes US sales record again in October with surging demand for EVs

Kia just broke its October sales record as its impressive US sales run continues. After another record-breaking month, Kia said the growth is fueled by “strong demand” for its electric vehicles.

Kia sets new October sales record in the US

Kia sold 69,908 vehicles in the US last month, up 16% from its previous October sales record in 2023.

According to Kia, higher demand for its electric models is charging up sales in the US. Kia’s electrified sales (EVs, PHEVs, and HEVs) reached its highest ever in October.

All-electric vehicles (EVs) led the way, with sales surging 70% year-over-year (YOY). Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and hybrid (HEV) sales were up 65% and 49%, respectively, from October 2023.

Kia’s first dedicated electric model, the EV6, set a new October sales record with 1,941 units sold. Through the first ten months of 2024, Kia has now sold over 17,700 EV6 models in the US. Meanwhile, its first three-row electric SUV, the EV9, continues to defy expectations.

With another 1,941 models sold last month, Kia EV9 sales reached 17,911 through October. That’s even more than the EV6 despite costing +$12,000 more.

Kia-sales-record-October
2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line (Source: Kia)

Kia’s first US-made EV9 rolled out of its West Point, GA plant this summer. Although the EV9 is expected to qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax credit next year, Kia is matching it for now through incentives.

Next year, we will also finally see the EV9 GT, which Kia promises will have “enormous power.” Ahead of its official debut, we got our first look at the sporty electric SUV with an active spoiler last month.

2025 Kia EV9 Trim Starting Price*
Light Standard Range $54,900
Light Long Range $59,900
Wind $63,900
Land $69,900
GT-Line $73,900
2025 Kia EV9 price by trim (*excluding $1,325 destination fee)

Earlier this month, we learned that the 2025 EV9 will start at $54,900 (not including the destination fee), which is only $700 more than the 2024 model.

With prices dropping to potentially under $50,000, Kia’s three-row electric SUV is a steal. If you’re ready to experience the EV9 for yourself, we can help you get started. You can use our links below to view deals on Kia’s electric vehicles in your area.

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Exxon CEO on U.S. election: ‘Not sure how drill, baby, drill translates into policy’

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Exxon CEO on U.S. election: 'Not sure how drill, baby, drill translates into policy'

Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods on Q3 results: Company transformation is beginning to manifest itself

The outcome of the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5 won’t affect oil production levels in the short- to medium term, Exxon CEO Darren Woods told CNBC on Friday.

Former President Donald Trump has called for unconstrained oil and gas production to lower energy prices and fight inflation, boiling his energy policy down to three words on the campaign trail: “Drill, baby, drill.”

“I’m not sure how drill, baby, drill translates into policy,” Woods told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Friday after the largest U.S. oil and gas company reported third-quarter results.

Woods said U.S. shale production does not face constraints from “external restrictions.” The U.S. has produced record amounts of oil and gas during the Biden administration.

Over the past six years, the U.S. has produced more crude oil than any other nation in history, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Output in the U.S. is driven by the oil and gas industry deploying technology and investment to generate shareholder returns based on the break-even cost of production, the CEO said.

“Certainly we wouldn’t see a change based on a political change but more on an economic environment,” Woods said. “I don’t think there’s anybody out there that’s developing a business strategy to respond to a political agenda,” he said.

While shale production has not faced constraints on developing new acreage, there are resources in areas like the Gulf of Mexico that have not opened up due to federal permitting, the CEO said.

“That could, for the longer term, open up potential sources of supply,” Wood said. In the short- to medium term, however, unconventional shale resources are available and it’s just a matter of developing them based on market dynamics, he said.

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Exxon Mobil shares in 2024.

The vast majority of shale resources in the U.S. are on private land and regulated at the state level, according to an August note from Morgan Stanley. About 25% of oil and 10% of natural gas is produced on federal land and waters subject to permitting, according to Morgan Stanley.

Vice President Kamala Harris opposed fracking during her bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. She has since reversed that position in an effort to shore up support in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania, where the natural gas industry is important for the state’s economy.

Don’t miss these energy insights from CNBC PRO:

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