Chevrolet’s Next Equinox EV Is Already in the Works—And It Can’t Come Soon Enough

Chevrolet’s Equinox EV had one hell of a honeymoon period—it was the best-selling non-Tesla EV in America last year. Then 2026 happened, and reality set in hard. Sales have collapsed so badly that the Equinox EV has dropped to fifth place on the bestselling EV list, trailing the Toyota bZ4x and Hyundai Ioniq 5. But instead of panicking, GM is already planning its next move: a completely new-generation Equinox EV arriving in late 2028 or early 2029, according to GM Authority reporting.

The timing is telling. The current Equinox EV hasn’t even been on sale for three full years—it launched as a 2024 model—and it’s already getting replaced. That’s aggressive product cycling, even for the EV market. What makes this decision particularly interesting is the platform shift: the next-generation model will trade the current BEV3 architecture for GM’s new BEV-N platform, a move that signals serious rethinking about what an affordable EV crossover needs to be.

Why the Redesign Matters

The BEV3 platform has done its job—it underpins everything from the Chevy Blazer EV to the Cadillac Lyriq—but it’s becoming the EV equivalent of last year’s fashion. GM’s modular EV architecture strategy has evolved considerably since the first Equinox EV hit showrooms, and BEV-N represents the company’s refined thinking on what a mass-market electric crossover should deliver. If GM is willing to sink resources into a completely new platform just five years after the first-gen launch, they’re serious about keeping Chevy relevant in the EV space.

Here’s the brutal math: Chevy moved 57,945 Equinox EVs in 2025, crushing it as the second-best-selling EV brand after Tesla. That looked like a win. But halfway through 2026, sales have dried up to just 16,249 units on pace for roughly 32,000 for the full year—a catastrophic 45% drop. Something about the current model isn’t sticking with buyers anymore, whether it’s price pressure from competitors like Ford’s Mustang Mach-E or the market’s shifting expectations for range, charging speed, and interior tech.

The Bigger Picture: GM’s EV Reality Check

This story gets interesting when you zoom out. Chevrolet’s EV lineup is schizophrenic right now. The Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV just won Car and Driver’s annual EV of the Year award, proving that a simple, affordable, no-nonsense electric car still has an audience. Meanwhile, the Equinox EV was supposed to be the volume play—the crossover that would hook mainstream buyers who didn’t want to think too hard about their EV purchase. Instead, it’s being outsold by Japanese and Korean competition while the Bolt sits at a lower price point.

The lesson here is uncomfortable: GM bet big on the Equinox EV as the Chevy EV that would matter. It was the flashier model, the one with the styling and the promise. But buyers have shown that they either want the dead-simple cheapness of a Bolt or they’re shopping at brands with stronger EV credentials. A 2029 refresh won’t fix that problem unless GM rethinks the entire value proposition—not just the platform underneath.

What We Don’t Know (And What That Tells Us)

Chevy’s official response to all this? “We cannot comment on future product plans.” Which is corporate speak for “yes, this is real, but we’re not confirming anything yet.” GM doesn’t leak timing on next-generation vehicles unless the plans are fairly locked in, so the late 2028/early 2029 window is probably accurate.

The specs, range, pricing, and actual design are complete unknowns. But here’s what we can infer: BEV-N is supposed to be more efficient and modular than BEV3, which could mean either better range at a lower cost or the same range at a significantly lower price. Given EPA efficiency benchmarks for mid-size electric crossovers, there’s real room to improve on the current Equinox EV’s performance. The new platform could also mean faster charging and a cleaner, more modern interior—two areas where the current model has been criticized by buyers shopping against the competition.

The Real Problem Beneath the Platform

Here’s what’s nagging at us about this whole thing: launching a new-generation vehicle three years after the first one hit showrooms isn’t strategic—it’s reactive. Successful car lines build momentum over time. The fact that GM needs to throw out the playbook this quickly suggests the original Equinox EV strategy—whatever it was—didn’t connect with the market the way leadership hoped. The BEV3 platform didn’t fail technically. The Equinox EV failed commercially, and no amount of architectural tinkering fixes a value proposition problem.

If the 2029 Equinox EV is going to succeed where the current model is faltering, Chevy needs to figure out what buyers actually want from a $35,000-$45,000 electric crossover. Is it a Tesla Model Y alternative for people who can’t afford the real thing? Is it a lifestyle statement? Is it pure practicality? The BEV-N platform is just the skeleton. Everything above that—price, features, software, charging ecosystem—will determine whether round two works.

Until Chevy tells us what the next Equinox EV actually is, the sales collapse becomes a question mark over whether the company understands its own EV market. A new platform in 2029 might be the answer. Or it might be rearranging deck chairs while the ship drifts.

Sources: Car and Driver