If you’d told me just a few months ago that the late-November 2024 automotive world faced tangible threats that seemed like a mashup of “Canadian Bacon” and “Moonraker,” I would have laughed. Nobody’s laughing now.

The incoming administration is doubling and tripling down on its promises to entirely disrupt every aspect of life in America, and this week’s threats of stiff tariffs against Canada and Mexico are just the latest headlines. At the same time, makers of electric vehicles now realize they’re also in huge trouble unless they cozy up immediately, as the federal incentives for EVs look like they’re going to totally disappear in less than two months. And, the Tesla boss gets to pick and choose what parts of the government he’d like to keep. It’s a lot to take in at once.

My advice at this point, besides moving to Holland? Do yourself a holiday favor and go buy an electric car, immediately. Without those incentives, they’ll be much costlier in January. And gas prices will absolutely skyrocket with any trade war with our North American business partners, so a fancy and still-incentivized EV just might be the ticket to marginal sanity, as long as the power grid holds up.

So here’s one to look at. Sandwiched between drives in the very similar Buick Enclave and the GMC Acadia gas-powered SUVs, I finally had a crack at a 2024 model of the Chevrolet Equinox EV.

Though it shares an electrical powertrain with the Honda Prologue and the Acura ZDX I drove this summer, the Equinox is a smaller and different vehicle than its other GM siblings, including the Chevrolet Blazer and the Cadillac Lyriq – and nothing at all like the outrageous GMC Hummer or Sierra EVs. 

There’s a substantial series of changes to the Equinox EV for its 2025 model, but let me first concentrate on what I experienced in a $49,000 2LT version of the 2024 Equinox EV, which had been upgraded from its $42,000 base price with electronic all-wheel drive at $3,300 and the hands-free Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system at $2,700.

While a base Equinox EV suffers a bit from a relatively miniscule 213 horsepower, the dual-motor AWD model has a speedier 288 horses and still gets an EPA rating for a total range of 285 miles from its 85 kilowatt-hour battery. 

For 2025, the lineup is simplified to an LT and an RS trim. The AWD models will be further boosted to a full 300 horsepower, and the single-motor, front-wheel-drive base model will start at about $34,000 and offer 319 miles of range. That $7,500 federal tax credit is currently available for either model, but as mentioned, don’t wait around.

The car magazines have griped about the Equinox’s lack of that slam-you-into-your-seat, off-the-line EV power, but I found the AWD model’s boost pretty adequate. The oversized 245/55 R19 tires felt a little floaty on a dry, rutted I-70 outing, but I was also able to enjoy a canyon run into Morrison, so it certainly has some life to it. It also packs the most abrupt one-pedal-driving experience I’ve had in an EV, if you chose the most intense setting.

About 50% of the marketing material for the Equinox EV focuses on its 17.7-inch center touchscreen and the associated 11-inch instrument panel, which somewhat compensates for the relatively austere interior and simple controls — remember the base price. You do get good Google maps, a lot of adaptability, but no CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity, for whatever reason. The inclusion of an actual “off” button for the whole car is also a feature I’ve missed in other electrics. A range of drive modes, including a snow mode, are also hidden in menus on that screen.

My only point of reference is the flashier experience in both the Equinox EV’s Honda and Acura cousins, but I think drivers seeking a domestic brand will find much to like here. Remember that the Equinox EV is assembled in Mexico, and its electric motor and transmission are made in Mexico, with the rest of the vehicle a blend of American and Canadian parts, demonstrating how all three countries rely on each other for automotive production.

My 2024 model was outfitted in a bright red paint job and a black interior, though things were brightened up with blue metallic highlights including Corvette-styled air vents and door and dash panels that magically lit up in a disco purple color at night.

The Equinox EV is loaded with a lot of eccentricities, from door handles that pop out horizontally and then often stay popped out, to a Tesla-styled LED monobrow on the face. Mine also had loads of chrome trim, including arrows in the gloss black of the lower doors, as well as aluminum roof rails.

The rear seating area shows the austerity more clearly, with two tiny air vents and a couple of lost-looking USB ports as the only amenities.