2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV Review
Our automotive expert shares opinions and new photos of the 2026 Equinox EV.
James Riswick
Pros: Family-friendly space and ample EV range at a reasonable price.
Cons: The price can increase quickly, and the steering can be difficult when accelerating.
The Takeaway: The Equinox EV offers compelling value for an electric SUV, but it may not be the strongest choice overall.
The 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV delivers a compelling blend of family-friendly space and electric range for the money. There's an ample array of available features to elevate the rather sparsely equipped base trim — including Super Cruise hands-free driving tech — but it also elevates the price tag into a realm occupied by more appealing EVs with higher-quality cabins and better driving experiences.
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What's New for the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV
QuickTake: Chevy made only minor changes to the Equinox EV for 2026.
For 2026, the Equinox EV receives only minor updates. A dual-level charge cord is now standard, while the RS trim now includes a black contrast roof (a body-matching roof is now optional). There's also a new Midnight Package for the LT 1 trim, which adds black wheels, badges, and front styling elements. The front-passenger seat is no longer height-adjustable as standard, which isn't great, but the brake linings no longer contain asbestos, which seems like a win.
James Riswick
About the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV Review Vehicle
QuickTake: Pricing for the Equinox EV starts below $40,000.
The 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV comes in LT 1, LT 2, and RS trim levels. Base prices range from about $37,000 to around $46,000, including the destination charge. The Equinox EV is built in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico.
For this Equinox EV review, I test-drove a front-wheel-drive (FWD) LT 2 in Southern California. Optional equipment included the Convenience Package II and the Active Safety Package 3, which includes Super Cruise hands-free driving assist. The manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) was $50,050, including the $1,800 destination charge. Chevrolet provided the vehicle for this Equinox EV review.
James Riswick
Design, Quality, and Interior Layout
QuickTake: The Equinox EV's cabin is refreshingly normal.
The Equinox EV may not be as inventive as some other electric vehicles, but compared with other compact SUVs, it's notably sleek, sporty, and looks cool without trying too hard.
The interior is handsome and more conventional than other EVs. Someone coming from a gas-powered alternative shouldn't find themselves in an alien environment. They will find a lot of digital real estate, however, thanks to the Equinox EV's colorful standard 17.7-inch touchscreen, which is nicely integrated into the sculpted dashboard rather than bolted onto it like a TV to a wall. The adjacent standard 11.0-inch digital instrument panel has crisp graphics and plenty of configurability, too.
Quality is hit or miss. There are physical climate controls (yay!), the stalks are substantial, and the rotary air vents look and feel expensive. There are also some padded surfaces on the dashboard and front doors, but the rear doors and other surfaces use plastics that look and feel a cut below other EVs in this price range. I've also sat in a base LT 1 without all the added feature content of my test vehicle, and there's a whiff of rental car about it despite the gee-whiz screens.
James Riswick
Comfort, Convenience, and Cargo Space
QuickTake: The family-friendly back seat is enormous, but with a consequence.
If you look at the Equinox EV from the side, you may notice that there's a lot of space between the wheels. It's not an optical illusion. Back-seat legroom is vast, and the doors to get back there are extra large to match. The result is a notably family-friendly back seat with enough space for this 6-foot-3-inch car reviewer to sit behind his own far-flung driver's seat position. I could've sat closer, though, if there were more front-of-seat tilt.
Fitting a child seat in the back is easy, whether rear- or forward-facing. And there's a particularly good chance you won't need to move the front-passenger seat to accommodate your kiddos in the back.
As jumbo as the back seat is, it's offset by a cargo area that's smaller than some gas-powered compact SUVs. Volume measures 26.4 cubic-feet behind the back seat, which is barely bigger than the subcompact Chevrolet Trailblazer. With the back seats folded, space expands to a lackluster 57.2 cu-ft.
In my own cargo testing, though, the Equinox EV's dual-level cargo floor and hidden under-floor storage bin expanded the space considerably and let it hold more luggage than the Trailblazer and the midsize Chevrolet Blazer EV. I found the Equinox EV is just mid-pack among electric SUVs, though.
Small-item storage is also just average for an EV. However, the main cupholders are all-stars, securing a 40-ounce jumbo cup and a wine-bottle-sized water bottle. The door holders are big too, but lined in hard plastic. The little bin next to them was the just-right size for my glasses case. I wish the wireless phone charger fell a little closer to hand, though.
James Riswick
2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV Infotainment System Review
QuickTake: Impressive, easy-to-use tech, but you may miss Apple CarPlay.
The Equinox EV's 11.0-inch digital instrument panel and 17.7-inch touchscreen make great first impressions. Subsequent impressions are great, too — the touchscreen's user interface is well laid out and easy to use. Its feature content is also solid — with one glaring exception.
Standard features include:
- Integrated Google Maps and Google Assistant voice controls (subscription required)
- SiriusXM satellite radio
- Six-speaker sound system
- OnStar emergency services and remote app-based vehicle controls
A wireless phone charger is available on the LT 2 and standard on the RS, but there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone projection. While Google built-in somewhat mitigates the lack of Android Auto connectivity, it's a tougher go for Apple users.
The system still reads and dictates text messages, and the user interface is better than CarPlay in my opinion. Additionally, the integrated Google Maps has better graphics and more advanced functionality than the CarPlay version. Still, I had to use my phone to select podcasts or downloaded music from playlists, and play them via Bluetooth. I don't consider this a deal-breaker, but others might.
James Riswick
Safety Features and Ratings
QuickTake: Standard driver-assistance features are plentiful and well done, and Super Cruise is a worthy, if expensive, upgrade.
Chevrolet equips the Equinox EV with a comprehensive suite of well-executed advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) as standard equipment. They include:
- Forward-collision warning
- Automatic emergency braking
- Pedestrian detection
- Lane-departure warning
- Lane-keeping assist
- Blind-spot monitoring with steering assist
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Rear automatic braking
- Safety Alert Seat
- Adaptive cruise control
On the one hand, my test example's optional Super Cruise system worked just as brilliantly in my time with the Equinox EV as it has in every GM vehicle where I've experienced it, including a 2025 Cadillac Optiq I own. There's no other hands-free driver-assistance feature, let alone a hands-on adaptive cruise control and lane-centering steering-assist system, that I trust more. The big steering wheel activation light is reason enough to prefer it over Ford's BlueCruise.
On the other hand, the option package containing Super Cruise costs $3,355 and requires you to also select the $3,100 Convenience Package II. As much as I like Super Cruise, I don't know if I'd pay more than three grand extra for it. Regular adaptive cruise control is standard, after all, albeit without lane-centering steering assist.
The myriad safety tech items functioned as they should, without false alarms or hyperactive warnings. I also appreciate the Safety Alert Seat that buzzes your butt instead of beeping at you for all to hear, and that a rear automatic braking system is standard.
James Riswick
2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV Specs and Driving Range
QuickTake: The Equinox EV travels far on a charge, and its as-tested efficiency exceeded EPA estimates on the highway.
Every Equinox EV has the same battery pack, but its drivetrain — FWD versus all-wheel drive (AWD) — determines its performance, range, and even handling.
My test vehicle came with FWD and, therefore, a single motor that produces 220 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque. Opting for AWD adds a second motor powering the rear wheels, for a total of 300 horsepower and 355 lb-ft.
The EPA-estimated electric range is 319 miles with FWD and 288 miles with AWD. On my 75-mile mixed-driving evaluation route, I saw 104 MPGe — not far from the EPA's 108 MPGe estimate in combined city and highway driving.
I only recharged the Equinox EV at home, but if I had attempted a long-distance trip, its maximum DC fast-charging rate is 150 kilowatts (kW). It still uses a CCS adapter rather than the Tesla-style North American Charging Standard (NACS), but an accessory adapter allows you to use the Tesla Supercharger network. Alternatively, having a CCS port means I didn't need an adapter to charge at my house, as I do with the growing number of NACS EVs.
James Riswick
2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV Test Drive
QuickTake: With FWD, the Equinox EV's steering while accelerating is a constant annoyance.
The Equinox EV puts an awful lot of torque through the front wheels, which causes torque steer, meaning that when you accelerate, the wheels can veer to one side or another, tugging the steering wheel.
Accelerate hard from a stop, and the steering wheel can tug lightly. Accelerate even mildly mid-corner, though, and it feels like the Equinox EV locks into your initial steering angle, making it harder to make corrections or return to center. It gets old in regular driving, and on a mountain road, it made the steering stiff and inconsistent. To be clear, I don't think it's a safety issue, but it can make the Equinox EV annoying to drive.
I have previously driven the Equinox EV AWD, and while it mitigates torque steer somewhat, the front motor still feels dominant, despite the added oomph and traction from the rear motor. Either way, I've found EVs with rear motors only or dual-motor systems with near-equal power splits don't suffer this issue.
Beyond the steering, though, the Equinox EV's competitors — such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Toyota C-HR — in my experience provide more composed handling that can even venture into the realm of fun. Despite its looks, there's nothing really fun about driving the Equinox EV.
Ride quality is at least OK, especially on the highway, but I suspect my test SUV's 21-inch wheels added some harshness over bumps that wouldn't be present with the standard 19s. Interior noise levels were always on the quiet side.Â
James Riswick
Alternatives to the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV
QuickTake:Â Given its size and range, the Equinox EV can be a great deal.
The Equinox EV's size and range seem excellent for an electric SUV that can be had for less than $40,000. Its value relative to the Nissan Leaf and Toyota C-HR is compelling, but as my test vehicle shows, it can quickly touch $50,000 with options, and comparisons with EVs in that price range are less kind. The Ford Mustang Mach-E and Hyundai Ioniq 5, in particular, I've found to be better to drive, have nicer interiors with standard smartphone mirroring, and, in the case of the Ioniq 5, charge faster.
James RiswickJames Riswick has been testing and reviewing cars since 2007, serving as an editor at Edmunds and Autoblog, and contributing to Autotrader, Car and Driver, AutoGuide, Auto Express, and Capital One Auto Navigator. You name it, he's almost certainly driven it. He has attended an auto show every year since he was 2 and has wanted to be an automotive journalist since high school. He owns a babied 1998 BMW Z3 2.8 in James Bond blue, a silver 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 Wagon (his idea of a three-row family vehicle) and a 2025 Cadillac Optiq because his wife would rather drive something from this decade.
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