GM CEO Mary Barra Shares the First Look at the New Chevy Blazer EV Launching in Spring 2023

author: Eric Walz   

The 2024 Chevy Blazer electric SUV.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra shared the first look at the upcoming Chevy Blazer EV that will launch in Spring 2023 as a 2024 model. Additional details of the new electric SUV from GM will be shared on July 18.

We've known about the electric Chevy Blazer since Oct 2021, when GM President Mark Reuss confirmed that the automaker was working on a new electric version. But this is the first official photo of the battery-powered truck.

In a Twitter post on Monday morning, Barra wrote, "Allow me to share a sneak peek at the all-new @Chevrolet Blazer #EV.  I can't wait until July 18, when we share the details with the world."

The new Blazer marks GM's entry into the highly competitive electric mid-size SUV segment. The redesigned Blazer will compete directly with the Tesla Model Y, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and other similar crossovers. In addition, for EV buyers looking for an alternative to a gas-powered SUV, the new Chevy Blazer EV may fit the bill.

The photo of the Blazer shows that it's an "SS-badged model, indicating it will be offered in a performance-electric version. The SS ("Super Sport") designation was first assigned to GM's iconic muscle cars in the 1960s. 

The electric Blazer is a completely new vehicle and does not share its chassis with the gas-powered version, which is produced at GM's plant in Mexico. The front grill bears a similar design as the electric Chevy Silverado pickup.

We first learned about the forthcoming electric Blazer back in January, when Barra confirmed the plans to revive the SS nameplate for the electric Blazer during her keynote address as part of the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The Blazer EV will be built on GM's Utium EV platform, which will also underpin the new Equinox EV. GM claims the RS trim of Equinox EV will deliver 300 miles of range. Since the electric Blazer SS will be a performance model, we expect it to offer similar range, but with much more power and a all-wheel-drive, dual-motor setup.

The Equinox EV will debut in the fall of 2023 as an affordable, functional compact SUV that will start around $30,000 in the U.S. Once the electric Equinox SUV goes on sale, GM will have a fully-electric vehicle available in three popular segments, a compact crossover, Mid-size SUV and full-size electric pickup with the electric Silverado.

The Silverado EV will also arrive in the spring of 2023 and compete with the Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T. 

GM's electric Equinox compact SUV will hit the market in Fall 2023.

GM has big plans for its electrified future. The company plans to add up to 30 new EVs to its model lineup by 2025. At present, GM is second to only Tesla when it comes to EV sales in the U.S. GM plans to push out different EVs across vehicle segments in the coming years.  

With new vehicles like the Blazer, GM aims to eventually overtake Tesla's sales. The automaker also wants to double its annual revenues by 2030 by improving its EBIT adjusted margins as its transitions to its electric future.

Although GM aims to become a frontrunner in the EV segment, the automaker intends to improve its profit margins from internal ICE vehicle sales in the interim, which for the most part includes highly profitable, gas-powered full-size pickups and SUVs. 

But once GM has an EV in every segment at various price points, the company's transition to EVs should start to ramp up.

A year ago, GM announced it was increasing its investments in electrification and autonomous driving technologies to $35 billion through 2025, as it plans for an all-electric future with dozens of new battery-powered models in the works, many with autonomous driving capability.

"We are investing aggressively in a comprehensive and highly-integrated plan to make sure that GM leads in all aspects of the transformation to a more sustainable future," said Barra in June 2021. "GM is targeting annual global EV sales of more than 1 million by 2025, and we are increasing our investment to scale faster because we see momentum building in the United States for electrification, along with customer demand for our product portfolio."

GM's new Ultium family of electric vehicle powertrains will support the company's transition to electrification. The Ultium family of powertrains include five different units and three electric motors which are configurable for rear wheel, front wheel and all-wheel-drive electric models. 

The five new powertrains and three electric motors are collectively called "Ultium Drive." 

The Ultium family also includes two powertrains designed for GM's future electric pickup trucks and SUVs, including a front or rear wheel drive powertrain and a dual motor version for all-wheel-drive electric trucks. 

The Ultium Drive units will be mated to one of the three new electric motors GM has developed for its EVs. The three motors are interchangeable depending on the vehicle setup. These motors within Ultium Drive are expected to offer industry-leading torque and power density across a wide spectrum of different vehicle types, GM said.

The interchangeable electric powertrains will also help GM to build many new mainstream electric vehicles more efficiently. The Ultium powertrains, including the electric skateboard platform they will be installed in, will standardize many of the electronics and components and allow GM to build more cost efficient electric vehicles. 

The higher price of EVs is a barrier to their widespread adoption. But the more affordable Equinox and Blazer may help GM to quickly gain ground in the highly competitive EV market in the U.S.

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.