Chevy Deletes 1LT Trim on Blazer EV, Report

Matthew Guy
by Matthew Guy

A few days ago, we brought you news of the entry-level Blazer EV vanishing off the order sheet, a development caught by eagle-eyed fans and confirmed by General Motors. Now, the gearheads at Automotive News have learned the trim has been permanently deep-sixed for the 2024 model year.


This is significant since it marks the end of any chance the Mexican-built ’24 Blazer EV will be available in at least one iteration for around $45,000. That was the figure tossed out by execs when initial announcements about this rig were made approximately one year ago, a sum that would have at least kept the Blazer EV within reach of a wider swath of the buying public.


Instead, shoppers venturing into a Chevy showroom this autumn will be facing a $56,715 2LT with all-wheel drive as the least expensive option. A $60,215 RS all-wheel drive model is what The General is planning to launch with this summer, if you’re wondering. There is apparently a two-wheel drive 2LT in the hopper for next year, though its price has yet to be disclosed. Given traditional price premiums for AWD in both ICE and EVs, you gotta figure its sticker will certainly be over $50k.


An official platitude being mouthed by the company is that these pricing decisions will help prevent the Blazer EV from overlapping the Equinox EV, a type of ladder system that dates to the days of Alfred Sloan. If trims such as Premier or even High Country (hey, it’s on the Traverse) are affixed to the Eq then it could certainly have an asking price pushing $50,000 after options are added.


It's well within an OEM’s rights to reposition trim levels as it sees fit, of course, but shifting the Blazer EV even further upmarket in terms of price is not without its risks – especially with the affordable Bolt set to evaporate next year. Sure, that model is allegedly coming back but no timeline has been given as to a concept’s unveiling, let alone the car itself.


Chevy has been touting a $30,000-ish starting price for a base Equinox EV 1LT, a figure to which they will need to get close if they wish to aggressively grow their market share in this space. Here’s hoping the 1LT trim fares better in the hands of Equinox planners.


[Image: Chevrolet]


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Matthew Guy
Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

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  • Jose R Monsegur Jose R Monsegur on Aug 06, 2023

    Don't you hate when you reserve a vehicle at a price and then tell you is $8,000 more expensive. I have a reservation for a Blazer EV in RS trim, at the time it was it was supposed to start at around $52,000, now the model I would want would be the RS RWD but that price is almost $62,000 to start, without options. So I'll guess I'll get another Model Y, a fully loaded Performance is $57,000 . Does the Blazer offer so much more than the Tesla to justify the extra money?, I don't think so. We may see a lot of Blazer on the lots like other manufacturers who refuse to lower their prices.

  • Dukeisduke Dukeisduke on Aug 07, 2023

    Stupid, for a brand that used to be one of the "Low-Priced Three" along with Ford and Plymouth, and sold tons of Biscaynes, Bel Airs, etc.

    • Art_Vandelay Art_Vandelay on Aug 08, 2023

      Bel Air was the mid to high trim. This would be like killing the Biscayne


  • Macca Judging by the atrocious reliability record and general lemony snicket nature of the ICE Wagoneer and GC, this makes about as much sense as the electrically-challenged Brit marques going EV. Upper trim interiors on the GW & GC are a case of 'nice at 10 paces' (or glammed up press photos). In person there are low-rent plastics throughout at critical touch points (center tunnel, seat & mirror controls on the door panel, for instance) where there is unnerving flex akin to a toy. Adding more screens when the main Uconnect screen is already flaky doesn't bode well.
  • Ted Bryant HA! Taught my son on my 84 FJ60. One day coming home from baseball we drove some of his friends home. One kid in the back asked how to put the window down. I thought he was joking -- he never "rolled down" a window before.
  • Jeff I don't believe that a teenager should have a brand new vehicle nor should they be driving a really old vehicle. Most teenagers will not fully appreciate being given a brand new vehicle and need to learn that there is a responsibility to owing and driving a vehicle. An older vehicle especially one that is very old lacks the safety equipment that newer ones have.
  • Dale It's not for me but it looks nice for someone else.
  • Ted VoGhost, I am looking for 350-400 mile range with 5 minute full recharging that is available like today’s gas stations. My personal threshold has more to do with recharge availability and times than the 350 mile range. I’d be ready to switch at a dependable 250 mile range and 10 minute charge times.
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