E DITOR’S LETTER
TIPPING IN
T HE DAWN OF THE (MORE) AFFORDABLE EV is here, and not a minute too soon. A few weeks after the time of writing, EMOTION was on-scene in Detroit – the Motor City – to put some of Chevrolet’s latest EV entries through their paces. We looked at both the Equinox EV SUV and the Silverado EV RST pickup truck. We’ll have
white interior inserts were unlike anything we’d seen before. However, when it came time to redesign the Volt for its second (and final) generation, they tailored all of that back and all of a sudden, the Volt looked like a tweaked Cruze. Seems people were put off by the original’s space-aged styling. Which is why we’re so interested in these two new
more on these vehicles soon, but we did come away feeling It could very well be that these are two of the most import- ant Chevys we’ve seen in a decade – and they couldn’t be coming at a better (or worse) time.
Chevrolet EVs (ChEVys). The Silverado RST, while definitely divergent from its ICE brethren, is unmistakably a Chevy and considering the advanced front end the Silverado already has, it’s not such a grand leap. Then, there’s the Equinox. It looks very much like the ICE vehicle and more than that, it has a name – Equinox – that adorns the flanks of one of the best-selling Chevrolets in the world, and one that does work in an incredibly competitive segment. It could be that these two vehicles, with their familiar names and looks but also their Ultium
“The way we consider mobility in the EV age has changed dramatically.”
First of all, the “worse” part: EV sales have slowed a little this year. The chal- lenge of material acquisition, high inter- est rates and the cost of bread have all had families thinking twice about spring- ing for a battery-electric vehicle (BEV). Sure; they know that there will be actual savings in the long run and government rebates do help, but the bottom line is families sim- ply can’t wait that long to see the returns. Here’s the thing, though. We believe that while on the surface that may be the case, there are other factors at play. Chief among these is one we all know well – familiarity. The Hyundai Ioniq5 and 6 are very well-engineered BEVs that can make almost 600 km of range and over 440 pound-feet of torque. They also look very unique and there, as the Bard would say, lies the rub. Let’s track back to Chevy for a minute. Remember the Volt? When it first came out, it was one of the most futuristic-looking things on the market. The swoopy body, narrow headlights and Apple-esque
EV platforms, could be the next frontier in the EV world. Further to that, the Equinox will be available at a more tolerable price than BEVs have hitherto become known for, which is, ultimately, the key here. Speaking of affordable EVs: in this second issue of EMOTION, we will be driving the most afford- able BEV you can get in Canada today – the 2024 Fiat 500E. It’s a city-spec car that could very well be bringing electric power to the masses. See for your- self on page 40.
Dan Heyman, Executive Editor dheyman@vicariousmag.com
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