News
GM unveils the Chevrolet Equinox EV, its budget SUV offering
General Motors has announced their all-new Chevy Equinox EV, their affordable EV SUV offering.
Chevrolet has long been the budget offering of GM products; their vehicles are made for everyone, so what if the interior is comparable to a school lunch tray, it’s cheap and (hopefully) reliable transportation. Outside of the Chevy Camero and Corvette lineups, this is how Chevy is seen by the vast majority of the population. And the brand is certainly not kicking that trend with their new Chevy Equinox EV.
The Equinox EV comes with two available powertrains. A front-wheel-drive system will offer a respectable 210 horsepower and 246 pound-feet of torque. The available all-wheel-drive system adds some spice with 290 horsepower and 346 pound-feet of torque. But in reality, these are not the features that matter to an Equinox buyer.
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- Rear view of 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 3LT in Riptide Blue parked in front of sunset. Preproduction model shown. Actual production model may vary. 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV available Fall 2023.
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- Driver’s side view of 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 3LT in Riptide Blue parked in front of a lake. Preproduction model shown. Actual production model may vary. 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV available Fall 2023.
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- Seven-eighths view of 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 3LT in Riptide Blue parked in front of a home. Preproduction model shown. Actual production model may vary. 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV available Fall 2023.
More importantly, with a starting price of $30,000, the vehicle has numerous features that appeal to many consumers. A standard range of 250 miles and an optional range of up to 300 miles will take most people where ever they need to go. The vehicle charges reasonably quickly at a standard 150kW. And it offers numerous safety features, including rear park assist and reverse automatic braking, blind zone steering assist, and lane keep assist, to name a few—all standard on the base model of the vehicle.
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- View of rear cabin in 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 3LT with Sky Cool Gray interior. Preproduction model shown. Actual production model may vary. 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV available Fall 2023.
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- View of rear cargo space in 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 3LT. Preproduction model shown. Actual production model may vary. 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV available Fall 2023.
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- View of driver’s side front cabin in 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 3LT with Super Cruise activated. Preproduction model shown. Actual production model may vary. 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV available Fall 2023.
Those who really want to bling out their Chevy Equinox EV can option Super Cruise hands-free driving, a panoramic sunroof, or even pleather seats (if you are feeling bold).
-->The new Chevy Equinox EV isn’t a track day hero, nor will it rip a Model 3 in half at a drag strip. But, this is important; it will get average Americans cheap, reliable, electrified transportation without any of the baggage that comes with a more flashy EV experience.
Looking at its competition, the Chevy Equinox will likely fair well. The vehicle will be available in fall of next year, and will likely be ahead of a lot of competition. The Hyundai/Kia counterparts, the Hyundai Kona/Ioniq 5, and the Kia Nio/EV6 are substantially more expensive and don’t currently apply for federal tax credits. Ford has yet to introduce a budget offering, their closest offering being the Ford Mustang Mach-E. And while the VW ID4 comest closest in price, the horror stories of owners left without software updates for months should scare away countless buyers.
For once in a very long time, General Motors is early to the market. With their Chevy Bolt and new Chevy Equinox offerings below $30,000 with incentives, they are in a league of their own.
What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!
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News
Tesla Model 3 named New Zealand’s best passenger car of 2025
Tesla flipped the switch on Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in September, turning every Model 3 and Model Y into New Zealand’s most advanced production car overnight.
The refreshed Tesla Model 3 has won the DRIVEN Car Guide AA Insurance NZ Car of the Year 2025 award in the Passenger Car category, beating all traditional and electric rivals.
Judges praised the all-electric sedan’s driving dynamics, value-packed EV tech, and the game-changing addition of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) that went live in New Zealand this September.
Why the Model 3 clinched the crown
DRIVEN admitted they were late to the “Highland” party because the updated sedan arrived in New Zealand as a 2024 model, just before the new Model Y stole the headlines. Yet two things forced a re-evaluation this year.
First, experiencing the new Model Y reminded testers how many big upgrades originated in the Model 3, such as the smoother ride, quieter cabin, ventilated seats, rear touchscreen, and stalk-less minimalist interior. Second, and far more importantly, Tesla flipped the switch on Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in September, turning every Model 3 and Model Y into New Zealand’s most advanced production car overnight.
FSD changes everything for Kiwi buyers
The publication called the entry-level rear-wheel-drive version “good to drive and represents a lot of EV technology for the money,” but highlighted that FSD elevates it into another league. “Make no mistake, despite the ‘Supervised’ bit in the name that requires you to remain ready to take control, it’s autonomous and very capable in some surprisingly tricky scenarios,” the review stated.
-->At NZ$11,400, FSD is far from cheap, but Tesla also offers FSD (Supervised) on a $159 monthly subscription, making the tech accessible without the full upfront investment. That’s a game-changer, as it allows users to access the company’s most advanced system without forking over a huge amount of money.
News
Tesla starts rolling out FSD V14.2.1 to AI4 vehicles including Cybertruck
FSD V14.2.1 was released just about a week after the initial FSD V14.2 update was rolled out.
It appears that the Tesla AI team burned the midnight oil, allowing them to release FSD V14.2.1 on Thanksgiving. The update has been reported by Tesla owners with AI4 vehicles, as well as Cybertruck owners.
For the Tesla AI team, at least, it appears that work really does not stop.
FSD V14.2.1
Initial posts about FSD V14.2.1 were shared by Tesla owners on social media platform X. As per the Tesla owners, V14.2.1 appears to be a point update that’s designed to polish the features and capacities that have been available in FSD V14. A look at the release notes for FSD V14.2.1, however, shows that an extra line has been added.
“Camera visibility can lead to increased attention monitoring sensitivity.”
Whether this could lead to more drivers being alerted to pay attention to the roads more remains to be seen. This would likely become evident as soon as the first batch of videos from Tesla owners who received V14.21 start sharing their first drive impressions of the update. Despite the update being released on Thanksgiving, it would not be surprising if first impressions videos of FSD V14.2.1 are shared today, just the same.
-->Rapid FSD releases
What is rather interesting and impressive is the fact that FSD V14.2.1 was released just about a week after the initial FSD V14.2 update was rolled out. This bodes well for Tesla’s FSD users, especially since CEO Elon Musk has stated in the past that the V14.2 series will be for “widespread use.”
FSD V14 has so far received numerous positive reviews from Tesla owners, with numerous drivers noting that the system now drives better than most human drivers because it is cautious, confident, and considerate at the same time. The only question now, really, is if the V14.2 series does make it to the company’s wide FSD fleet, which is still populated by numerous HW3 vehicles.
News
Waymo rider data hints that Tesla’s Cybercab strategy might be the smartest, after all
These observations all but validate Tesla’s controversial two-seat Cybercab strategy, which has caught a lot of criticism since it was unveiled last year.
Toyota Connected Europe designer Karim Dia Toubajie has highlighted a particular trend that became evident in Waymo’s Q3 2025 occupancy stats. As it turned out, 90% of the trips taken by the driverless taxis carried two or fewer passengers.
These observations all but validate Tesla’s controversial two-seat Cybercab strategy, which has caught a lot of criticism since it was unveiled last year.
Toyota designer observes a trend
Karim Dia Toubajie, Lead Product Designer (Sustainable Mobility) at Toyota Connected Europe, analyzed Waymo’s latest California Public Utilities Commission filings and posted the results on LinkedIn this week.
“90% of robotaxi trips have 2 or less passengers, so why are we using 5-seater vehicles?” Toubajie asked. He continued: “90% of trips have 2 or less people, 75% of trips have 1 or less people.” He accompanied his comments with a graphic showing Waymo’s occupancy rates, which showed 71% of trips having one passenger, 15% of trips having two passengers, 6% of trips having three passengers, 5% of trips having zero passengers, and only 3% of trips having four passengers.
The data excludes operational trips like depot runs or charging, though Toubajie pointed out that most of the time, Waymo’s massive self-driving taxis are really just transporting 1 or 2 people, at times even no passengers at all. “This means that most of the time, the vehicle being used significantly outweighs the needs of the trip,” the Toyota designer wrote in his post.
-->Cybercab suddenly looks perfectly sized
Toubajie gave a nod to Tesla’s approach. “The Tesla Cybercab announced in 2024, is a 2-seater robotaxi with a 50kWh battery but I still believe this is on the larger side of what’s required for most trips,” he wrote.
With Waymo’s own numbers now proving 90% of demand fits two seats or fewer, the wheel-less, lidar-free Cybercab now looks like the smartest play in the room. The Cybercab is designed to be easy to produce, with CEO Elon Musk commenting that its product line would resemble a consumer electronics factory more than an automotive plant. This means that the Cybercab could saturate the roads quickly once it is deployed.
While the Cybercab will likely take the lion’s share of Tesla’s ride-hailing passengers, the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover would be perfect for the remaining 9% of riders who require larger vehicles. This should be easy to implement for Tesla, as the Model Y and Model 3 are both mass-market vehicles.
Tesla Model 3 named New Zealand’s best passenger car of 2025
Tesla starts rolling out FSD V14.2.1 to AI4 vehicles including Cybertruck
