Chevy Blazer EV sales are still halted as GM looks to get back on track
Those looking to get their hands on GM’s highly anticipated Chevy Blazer EV may have to wait even longer. Sales of the new Chevy Blazer EV are still paused as GM looks to overcome software glitches setting the automaker back.
Chevy Blazer sales still paused almost two months later
GM issued a stop-sale on the new Chevy Blazer in December, four months after opening orders. The company said it was temporarily halting sales to fix a software issue.
Almost two months later, Chevy Blazer EV sales are still suspended. Speaking at a conference hosted by Wolfe Research, GM’s CEO Mary Barra said 2024 is the “year of execution” as the automaker looks to get back on track.
A big part of these plans includes resetting EV production, relaunching Cruise, and fixing software glitches in its new vehicles.
The software issue is also affecting GM’s Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon gas-powered trucks, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Barra said if she could go back to last year, “recognizing manufacturing is a competitive advantage for us,” but building new things should have had “more time in planning and risk assessment.”
The year of execution
GM fixed the hurdle setting it back with assembling battery cells last year, and now the company must executive EV production flawlessly, Barra said Thursday. The automaker already announced it was delaying key launches, including the Equinox EV, Silverado RST EV, and GMC Denali EV pickup last fall.
Those electric models are expected to launch this year. Barra admitted GM has gone through “a little bit of growing pains” with software in its EVs.
Barra said that “getting vehicles out there right and getting the software” strategy straight is at the top of the to-do list. Like many of its rivals, GM sees software as a promising revenue stream.
GM brought in former Apple exec Mike Abbot last May to revamp its software team. Barra said, “Abbott has brought in an incredible team: hired people from Google, from Apple, from Meta, and many tech companies.”
GM’s CEO explained, “We’ve already revamped the software development process and, more importantly, the validation process.”
Once complete, Barra vows the software will exceed customer expectations while being unique from rivals. Although GM will generate big profits from gas vehicles this year, GM must show Wall St it can build cost-effective Ultium EVs that customers want to buy.
GM confirmed earlier this week that the Chevy Equinox EV will start at $34,995 as the “most affordable” electric vehicle with 319 miles range. That’s including the $1,395 destination fee.
With the $7,500 EV tax credit, the new electric Equinox could be available for as low as $27,495. The Chevy Equinox EV 2LT will be available for as low as $35,795, including the IRA tax credit.
Chevy Equinox EV trim |
Starting Price |
| 1LT FWD | $34,995 |
| 2LT FWD | $43,295 |
| 2RS FWD | $44,795 |
| 3LT FWD | $45,295 |
| 3RS FWD | $46,795 |
The upcoming Equinox EV is slated to fill big shoes as GM ended production of its current best-selling EV, the Chevy Bolt.
GM plans to launch an Ultium-based Bolt, but that’s not expected until next year at the earliest. At under $30,000, the Equinox EV could play a key role as GM looks to get back on track. GM said dealers are gearing up for orders.
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Southern California truck spotters will have plenty of electric semi trucks to watch out for as Amazon adds fifty Class 8 EVs to its commercial fleet.
The fully electric Volvo semi trucks purchased will haul both heavy cargo containers and customer package loads in Amazon’s first- and middle-mile operations in California. The trucks will join the hundreds of last-mile electric vans from Ford and Rivian that are already delivering packages across the golden state.
These are the first-ever electric trucks in the company’s ocean freight operations, also known as drayage operations. They’ve already started hitting the road at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, with a dozen expected to be in service by the end of the year.
“We’re proud to launch our largest fleet of electric heavy-duty vehicles yet in California,” said Udit Madan, vice president of Worldwide Amazon Operations. “Heavy-duty trucking is a particularly difficult area to decarbonize, which makes us all the more excited to have these vehicles on the road today. We’ll use what we learn from deploying these vehicles as we continue to identify and invest in solutions to reduce emissions in our transportation network, and to impact sustainability in the trucking industry more broadly.”
Amazon picks Volvo VNR Electric semi
Amazon’s electric semi of choice this time is the Volvo VNR Electric. These class 8 trucks have a range of up to 275 miles with a gross combined vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 82,000 pounds. The heavy-duty Volvo trucks ship with a number of safety features that will be familiar to Volvo Car owners, including active collision mitigation, blind-spot detection, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control.
Altogether, the Volvo VNRs Amazon just added to its fleet are projected to travel more than 1 million miles each year with zero harmful carbon and diesel particulate emissions coming out of their exhaust pipes.
Electrek’s Take
On the one hand, Amazon is making a big deal out of buying electric drayage trucks – which isn’t really big a deal in 2024, since that’s a legal requirement at this point. You literally can’t buy a new, internal combustion drayage truck in California as of this year.
That said, I’m a “celebrate every positive change” kind of guy, and the people who live and work around Amazon’s operations will be literally and figuratively breathing easier with these trucks in operation. As such, I’m willing to give California Governor Gavin Newsom a victory lap.
“California continues to lead the way in setting world-leading climate goals. No other state has created the kind of environment where Amazon and other businesses can lead on sustainability and take major steps forward like deploying this fleet of electric trucks,” said Gavin, in a statement. “California’s climate action continues powering our economy and creating jobs.”
SOURCE | IMAGES: Amazon.
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Thanks to the $10,000 Polestar Clean Vehicle Incentive introduced last week, 2024 Polestar 2 lease prices are now over $120 a month cheaper.
CarsDirect reports that through May 31, the 2024 Polestar 2 Long Range Dual Motor can be leased for $299 for 27 months with $3,299 due at signing.
The auto research portal says that’s a $50 drop in the monthly payment with $2,050 less required at signing. As a result, the effective cost fell $126, from $547 per month to $421 before taxes & fees.
The Polestar 2 Dual Motor – list price $55,300 – is a much better deal to lease than the Single Motor model – list price $49,900 – because amazingly, they have the same lease price. That’s basically a free upgrade to the Dual Motor model.
The Polestar 2 first made its debut in 2019 as the automaker’s first fully electric car. It launched in mid-2020 and the milestone 150,000th car rolled off the assembly line in August 2023.
The Polestar 2 is expected to be phased out in 2027, and company says the Polestar 7 will succeed it.
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