The Chevrolet Equinox Plus is a PHEV for China, maybe America

After pushing hard toward an electric future, General Motors announced that it’s pulling back a bit and expanding its efforts to include more hybrid and plug-in options. The automaker’s recent presentation at the Beijing Auto Show gives us a glimpse of how that effort might take shape, as it revealed the new Chevrolet Equinox Plus, a plug-in hybrid SUV for the Chinese market that could somehow make an appearance on our shores. .

Although we call this a GM effort, the company notes that it is a product of the SAIC-GM partnership. Its 1.5-liter turbo engine produces 177 horsepower, and is assisted by a 188 horsepower electric motor for a combined output of around 365 horsepower (272kW). The 0-100 km/h (62 mph) time comes in less than seven seconds, and the top Active variant offers an all-electric driving range of 155 km (96 miles) on China’s CLTC test loop. It has a 24.4-kWh battery pack, while the cheapest configuration gets a 16.5-kWh unit and a range of 102 kilometers (63 miles). On top of EPA test cycle, these numbers may be lower. The Active Reduction also gets a car charging function that allows it to act as a temporary generator or power external devices.

Although plug-in sales make up only a small portion of EV sales in the U.S., they saw their best year ever in 2023. That growth could pick up in 2024 as more automakers scale back plans to push expensive new EVs. It is also a solid alternative to battery-only models, providing a buffer between owners and sometimes lacking charging infrastructure across the country.

The new Equinox Plus just went on sale in China, and GM hasn’t said anything official about the Plus coming to the US. But it appears to use the same body and chassis as the recently redesigned gas-only Equinox coming to America. So it might seem easier and cheaper to add an electric powertrain to the American version. With all of that in mind, along with GM’s stated plans to offer more hybrids, as well as increase hybrid sales, it would seem quite possible that the company would bring it Stateside.

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