Electric Vehicles

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by snizzle

Speaking of the Equinox, Motorweek gave the Equinox ICE the Best Small Utility award and the Equinox EV won Best of the Year.
https://motorweek.org/drivers-choice...choice-awards/

Martin, would you agree given the time you've had w/the Equinox EV so far?

It's a very nice car. Drives smooth. Very efficient, even with the lower efficiency in the winter. In my opinion it compares very favorably to our Model Y. The one thing I will say is the app absolutely SUCKS. Especially compared to the Tesla app. It actually has the same MyChevrolet app as my 2017 Camaro but it doesn't work worth a damn.

One thing that really baffles me is that on paper, the EQEV is larger than the Model Y. But to my eyes, the Model Y looks and feels bigger.

My daily driver before getting the Equinox EV was a 2012 SRX. I much prefer the EQEV to the SRX. A lot of that is of course due to refinement and features that are better in 2024 than they were in 2012, but at the most fundamental level, it just has a more comfortable ride. I probably prefer the SRX steering feel though and the SRX had the big panoramic roof, as does the Model Y.
Now that we’ve had the Equinox EV for a while I can offer an early impression of how it stacks up with our Model Y. The following is a comparison of the EQEV to the Model Y that I posted on the Tesla site a couple months after I got the EQEV. Still rings true. Tesla has improved AutoPilot and Full Self Driving significantly sense I wrote this so I definitely prefer those to EQEV Adaptive Cruise (I decided not to get SuperCruise).


Why our Model Y is waaay better than the Equinox EV

• Power. The Model Y has a lot more power.
• Side Blindzone display on the screen for turns and lane changes.
• More storage room than the Equinox by a lot.
• Frunk.
• Panoramic roof. Available on the Equinox, but standard on the Model Y
• Heated front and rear seats. Only heated front on the Equinox. Rear is available as an option. TBH – I don’t sit in the back so…
• Lock sounds set on random. Screaming Goat, Fart and Applause always draw strange looks from bystanders.

Why our Equinox EV crushes the Model Y

• NVH is better. Comfy ride, nice noise isolation, solid handling.
• Controls are right where they need to be
• Reconfigurable Instrument Cluster. 5 options with great information content. Model Y doesn’t come with an IC. I installed one and we love the functionality. But the Equinox IC is smooth as butter.
• Range predictions are much better than the Model Y.
• Regen Braking. 1-Pedal Driving gets a slight advantage to the Equinox EV. Both are really good at it but the Equinox is slightly easier to modulate. Plus there is a regen paddle on the back of the steering wheel to provide just that additional bit of regen.
• Adaptive Cruise > Auto Pilot. One major reason… Put on turn signal using Auto Pilot and Auto Pilot drops immediately. Put on turn signal using Adaptive Cruise and it maintains setting.
• No need to splurge on accessories (Model Y needed storage cubbies and dividers, usable floor mats, and trim pieces to spruce up the interior)

Bottom line - both are excellent EVs. If I was limited to one, I’d probably add a few options to the Equinox EV and go with that. I am not at all disappointed with the Model Y purchase. Just some of the areas where the Equinox shines it comes across as the more rounded vehicle

[FarmerFran]

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

It's a very nice car. Drives smooth. Very efficient, even with the lower efficiency in the winter. In my opinion it compares very favorably to our Model Y. The one thing I will say is the app absolutely SUCKS. Especially compared to the Tesla app. It actually has the same MyChevrolet app as my 2017 Camaro but it doesn't work worth a damn.

My daily driver before getting the Equinox EV was a 2012 SRX. I much prefer the EQEV to the SRX. A lot of that is of course due to refinement and features that are better in 2024 than they were in 2012, but at the most fundamental level, it just has a more comfortable ride. I probably prefer the SRX steering feel though and the SRX had the big panoramic roof, as does the Model Y.
Now that we’ve had the Equinox EV for a while I can offer an early impression of how it stacks up with our Model Y. The following is a comparison of the EQEV to the Model Y that I posted on the Tesla site a couple months after I got the EQEV. Still rings true. Tesla has improved AutoPilot and Full Self Driving significantly sense I wrote this so I definitely prefer those to EQEV Adaptive Cruise (I decided not to get SuperCruise).


Why our Model Y is waaay better than the Equinox EV

• Power. The Model Y has a lot more power.
• Side Blindzone display on the screen for turns and lane changes.
• More storage room than the Equinox by a lot.
• Frunk.
• Panoramic roof. Available on the Equinox, but standard on the Model Y
• Heated front and rear seats. Only heated front on the Equinox. Rear is available as an option. TBH – I don’t sit in the back so…
• Lock sounds set on random. Screaming Goat, Fart and Applause always draw strange looks from bystanders.

Why our Equinox EV crushes the Model Y

• NVH is better. Comfy ride, nice noise isolation, solid handling.
• Controls are right where they need to be
• Reconfigurable Instrument Cluster. 5 options with great information content. Model Y doesn’t come with an IC. I installed one and we love the functionality. But the Equinox IC is smooth as butter.
• Range predictions are much better than the Model Y.
• Regen Braking. 1-Pedal Driving gets a slight advantage to the Equinox EV. Both are really good at it but the Equinox is slightly easier to modulate. Plus there is a regen paddle on the back of the steering wheel to provide just that additional bit of regen.
• Adaptive Cruise > Auto Pilot. One major reason… Put on turn signal using Auto Pilot and Auto Pilot drops immediately. Put on turn signal using Adaptive Cruise and it maintains setting.
• No need to splurge on accessories (Model Y needed storage cubbies and dividers, usable floor mats, and trim pieces to spruce up the interior)

Bottom line - both are excellent EVs. If I was limited to one, I’d probably add a few options to the Equinox EV and go with that. I am not at all disappointed with the Model Y purchase. Just some of the areas where the Equinox shines it comes across as the more rounded vehicle

NOT DISCOUNTING YOUR POST, You obviously have a more legitimate push but

IMHO

Not owning either one but interacting with both of them, they felt like 2 vehicles in 2 totally different segments. I do not know how to expand on that other than "the same class" and it really did not feel like the "same class" to me.

The experience overall in this instance would push me to a Y.

Again, I have no dog in the fight. Just my initial gut feeling.

[90503]

Some tid-bits about 2026 Model Y...(from CarBuzz)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news...d=BingNewsSerp

After much speculation, America's best-selling EV, the Tesla Model Y, has finally gone through a major revamp. Internally coded Project Juniper, Tesla has employed several changes to improve its design, overall comfort, and efficiency - updates that its numerous patrons will surely appreciate. Recently, Tesla engineers spent a good portion of their time explaining these updates in an interview with Tesla Owners Silicon Valley. Some of these we already knew from its debut, but here are the important updates straight from the horse's mouth.

Base MSRP $59,990

Base Trim Engine Electric

Base Trim Transmission Single Speed Automatic

0-60 MPH 4.1 seconds

Top Speed 125 mph

Electric Range 320 miles

The removal of Tesla's iconic 'T' logo from the vehicle's exterior is quite obvious - a decision originally intended for the US market but delayed due to requirements in China. Another key design change is the reintroduction of the turn signal stalk. Tesla previously replaced the stalk with steering wheel buttons, but strong customer demand prompted the automaker to bring it back while keeping the buttons as an option for those who prefer them. New paint colors that have already been rolled out in international markets, including the exclusive Glacier Blue color, are expected to be available soon in North America.



Set to arrive as the Launch Series under $60,000, Tesla addressed the Model Y's cabin noise with the Juniper with a metallic-coated glass roof with dual silver layers, which also enhanced its thermal performance to enable lower fan speed operation for better efficiency and comfort. Auto-oscillating Airwave 2.0 fans now swing side to side for optimized cooling. It also has laminated rear glass and smoother, quieter door latches and trunk lids to enhance passenger comfort. Interior materials have been upgraded to further dampen unwanted sounds, including carpeted cupholders, trunk lids, and side trim.

[Realist]

Model Y made in USA, Equinox EV made in Mexico. Choose wisely if wanting to support USA workers. To me where it’s made and USA part content (not North American) are near the top features when shopping and comparing. It’s really important we keep the $’s here folks, now more than ever.

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by Realist

Model Y made in USA, Equinox EV made in Mexico. Choose wisely if wanting to support USA workers. To me where it’s made and USA part content (not North American) are near the top features when shopping and comparing. It’s really important we keep the $’s here folks, now more than ever.

When I lease my Mexican made Equinox EV the development team and the engineers in Warren, Michigan benefit from the profit sharing that results from it. When someone buys or leases a Camry made in Georgetown, Kentucky profit sharing goes to engineers at Toyota development center in Ann Arbor, Michigan as well as Tokyo, Japan. Like it or not, that's how global corporations work. It's less about where it is assembled than it is about where it is developed and where the components are sourced.

[90503]

Some info on EV VIN numbers....Country of origin, assembly, major parts, etc...Always check the VIN and de-code it!

https://afdc.energy.gov/laws/electri...for-tax-credit


https://www.nhtsa.gov/vin-decoder

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by 90503

Some info on EV VIN numbers....Country of origin, assembly, major parts, etc...Always check the VIN and de-code it!

https://afdc.energy.gov/laws/electri...for-tax-credit


https://www.nhtsa.gov/vin-decoder

The decoder works for ALL vehicles sold in North America, not just EV.

[90503]

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

The decoder works for ALL vehicles sold in North America, not just EV.

Yes, of course.

Just curious, would an EV vin be noticeably different from an ICE vin as far as equipment, options, powertrain. Just guessing, but I would think the EV vin would be pretty generic and less descriptive and harder to tell one ev from another?? Thanks.

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by 90503

Yes, of course.

Just curious, would an EV vin be noticeably different from an ICE vin as far as equipment, options, powertrain. Just guessing, but I would think the EV vin would be pretty generic and less descriptive and harder to tell one ev from another?? Thanks.

Good question. I don't think it does, but the more you know about certain brands, the easier it is to figure it out.

Here's what the different positions mean:

• 1st digit: country of manufacture
• 2nd digit: OEM (GM, Toyota, Tesla)
• 3rd digit: Type of vehicle (Car, Truck, Utility, Bus)
• 4th - 8th digits: Vehicle brand, body type, engine size and type. Can also be used to note series or trim but usually is not set up that way. ,Can also identify level of safety equipment.
• 9th digit: Check digit.
• 10th digit: Model year
• 11th digit: Assembly plant
• 12th + digits: Serial number.

The 4th - 8th digits would be the key to how to define if it is EV or not and that information is up to the manufacturer to determine how they use it. It should be simple to put in there the electric motor detail instead of the engine detail, but then whoever is trying to decode the VIN would need to know each brand's codes for each of their engines and electric motors.

So, decoding my Camaro 1G1FH3D77HXXXXXXX
1 = USA (2 = Canada, 3 = Mexico)
G = General Motors
1 = Car
FH3D7 = Chevrolet Camaro V8. The 3 is Chevrolet (Buick = 1, Cadillac = 2 Chevrolet = 3). Not sure which digit(s) define(s) the engine, but if someone has a V6 it may be as simple as seeing what's different.
7 = check digit. Means nothing.
7 = Model year 2017
H = Lansing Grand River when digit #2 = G

Decoding my Tesla 7SAYGDEE0PAXXXXXX
7 = USA. Don't know why they use 7 instead of 1. Interesting.
S = Tesla. Seems like "S" should have already been taken by Subaru.
A = I'm not sure. I would have expected to see a Y for Utility
YGDEE = I would have expected the "Y" to have been in the 3rd position for "Utility" buy maybe in this instance it means "Model Y". Somewhere in these digits is where Tesla provides the code for number and type of electric motors. You'd have to know what their codes are to accurately decipher this.
0 = check digit. Means nothing.
P = Model year 2023
A = Austin Texas assembly plant when digit #2 = S

[Realist]

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

When I lease my Mexican made Equinox EV the development team and the engineers in Warren, Michigan benefit from the profit sharing that results from it. When someone buys or leases a Camry made in Georgetown, Kentucky profit sharing goes to engineers at Toyota development center in Ann Arbor, Michigan as well as Tokyo, Japan. Like it or not, that's how global corporations work. It's less about where it is assembled than it is about where it is developed and where the components are sourced.

No where in either of my examples did I mention Toyota. I also believe Tesla is higher in US part content to the Blazer and Equinox.

Bonuses in some form or another like profit sharing are great. It’s when the industry is so heavily subsidized that I would rather the taxpayer be reimbursed.

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by Realist

No where in either of my examples did I mention Toyota. I also believe Tesla is higher in US part content to the Blazer and Equinox.

Bonuses in some form or another like profit sharing are great. It’s when the industry is so heavily subsidized that I would rather the taxpayer be reimbursed.

I mentioned Toyota as an example of how vehicles manufactured in the USA drive profits to other countries.

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by 90503

Yes, of course.

Just curious, would an EV vin be noticeably different from an ICE vin as far as equipment, options, powertrain. Just guessing, but I would think the EV vin would be pretty generic and less descriptive and harder to tell one ev from another?? Thanks.

Entered my Cadillac SRX VIN in the NHTSA decoder. It correctly identified that the engine is LFX 3.6L V6, primary fuel is gasoline and secondary fuel is E85. When I put in our Chevrolet Volt it came back with engine is L3A, primary fuel is electric and secondary fuel is gasoline.

[Iron Lung Jimmy]

Playing devil's advocate - Which is more important, bigger bonuses and profit sharing for a few highly paid engineers or more jobs for the blue collar guy.

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by Iron Lung Jimmy

Playing devil's advocate - Which is more important, bigger bonuses and profit sharing for a few highly paid engineers or more jobs for the blue collar guy.

Jobs for both engineers and blue collar guys are equally important.