News Desk [January 7th, 2022]

Wait, who? What? Allow me to explain.

Alex, as intelligent and competent as he has always been, is still only one person. In order to keep up with the demands of a growing and evolving channel such as AoA, it was only a matter of time before something had to break inside him, pushing him to add another personality into the mix. That’s where I come in.

Like many cars on sale in the U.S. today, I was manufactured (e.g. brought up, raised, molded) in a southern state but most of my parts (okay, all of them) originated overseas. I was adopted from Russia, grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina, currently reside in the great city of Atlanta, Georgia, and can’t wait to give you all the east coast angle!

I drive a 2019 Hyundai Veloster N, have several firm opinions on things happening in the industry today, and look forward to being clear-cut and transparent about each of them. Alex on Autos is one of the handful of outlets I have followed near-religiously over the years that has helped me become the car aficionado I am today. As such, it is a great honor to be joining the team!

You will start to see me on camera very soon, but in the meantime please enjoy this introductory compilation of automotive news stories, ‘The Daily’. With CES in our immediate rearview, today is a good one.

Chevrolet’s EV Announcement at CES 2022

CES, the annual Consumer Electronics Show, is going through something of an identity change. Perhaps more fitting as the “Car and Electronics Show”, multiple manufacturers took to the stage this year in both virtual and physical form to showcase their electric futures. Chevrolet announced three all-new models, each a variant of an existing ICE model, each running on GM’s Ultium battery technology (which they are sharing with Honda, by the way). Starting with the most anticipated and detailed reveal, here is the 2024 Silverado EV.

If you are experiencing a bit of deja vu, you are not alone. Not only does the Silverado EV look similar in profile to the upcoming GMC Hummer EV, it also reminds us of the late Chevy Avalanche. Like the Avalanche, the Silverado EV RST trim offers a midgate that enables customers to expand the length of the bed by opening up the rear seat area to the outside world. At its maximum potential, you can stuff items up to 10 feet in length back there!

Straying significantly from the Avalanche, however, is the power output on offer in this full-size truck. I’m sure we are all feeling a certain level of desensitization to the outrageous numbers electric powertrains can produce, but the Silverado EV’s numbers are still impressive. Over 660 horsepower, 780 lb-ft of torque, and up to 400 miles of range on the RST trim. Only Rivian has promised an electric truck with that much range on tap, but that version of the R1T isn’t available just yet. Chevy claims the RST will be available by Fall 2023, so Rivian has a good chance at beating them to the punch.

Where Rivian doesn’t provide competition for the Silverado EV is in a work truck offering. The lowest end of the Silverado EV range will be filled by the WT trim. Giving customers an electric truck more in line with Ford’s F-150 Lightning Pro, it will be on sale a little earlier than the RST. Prices are expected to be on par with the Ford as well, starting around $40k.

Then, there was the Equinox EV. A complete design departure from the existing ICE Equinox, the EV has a sharp look all of its own. With a price expected to land around $30,000 (!) and an on-sale date of Fall 2023 for both fleet and retail versions, stay tuned for more details on this potential EV game-changer in the coming months.

GM CEO Mary Barra also announced that a Blazer EV is in the works as well. No photos or further details were provided, but if I were to make a prediction, the design will either be very similar to the already daring ICE Blazer, or they will pull an Equinox and differentiate it quite a bit. Either way, two crossovers are better than one these days, and this is just the beginning!