Enlarge / Until the Bolt returns, this is Chevrolet’s entry-level electric car, the Equinox EV. (credit: Michael Teo Van Runkle)

A new entry-level EV from General Motors hits the market this year bearing the name Equinox, but other than nomenclature, this Chevy is not at all related to the current internal-combustion compact crossover. Instead, the new Equinox EV rides on the smallest iteration of GM’s Ultium platform until the Bolt reboots with a new (lithium iron phosphate) Ultium battery pack.

The Equinox EV shares its chassis with the forthcoming Cadillac Optiq but aims instead to hit the market as cheaply as possible and significantly undercut Tesla’s Model Y. Deliveries will start later this year with the LT trim level, which has a starting MSRP of $34,995. Eager to prove what it no doubt hopes will be the new cash-cow EV’s bona fides, Chevrolet invited media to Detroit to drive a fleet of Equinoxes in various trim levels.

On paper, the Equinox’s stats look fairly solid. A smallish 85 kWh battery is sufficient for an EPA range estimate of 319 miles (513 km) for the front-wheel-drive base model. Output for the single motor clocks in at a respectable 213 hp (159 kW) and 236 lb-ft (320 Nm) of torque. Perhaps the only downside appears to be a max DC fast-charging rate of 150 kW, though thanks to the battery’s overall capacity, the Equinox should still add 77 miles (124 km) of range in about 10 minutes.