Over 600 EV drivers have signed a petition asking General Motors not to turn its back on affordable electric vehicles.
Started by the Electric Vehicle Association, which describes itself as a network of electric vehicle advocates, the "EV Affordability Starts With You, GM" petition calls on the automaker to stand by its slogan of making "EVs for Everyone" and keep its promise that the upcoming Chevrolet Equinox EV will be priced "around $30,000."
Unveiled on the first day of the North American International Detroit Auto Show, the petition cites as a precedent the fact GM recently scrapped the 1LT entry-level trim of the Chevrolet Blazer EV, which was originally supposed to be priced around $45,000.
"If GM is going to lead America in the EV transition, that cannot happen to the Equinox," the petition notes.
Gallery: 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV
"Despite a commitment to go 100% electric by 2035, GM's EV strategy has focused on building bigger, more expensive electric trucks and SUVs that cost $50,000 or more – a price point that excludes most working people and keeps more Americans behind the wheel of a gas-powered car," said Elaine Borseth, President of the Electric Vehicles Association.
The document points out that GM currently sells just one EV at a price point below $56,000 – the Chevy Bolt. However, production of the Bolt will end in December, and GM did not say when the Bolt's Ultium-based successor will launch.
There's no doubt that more affordable electric vehicles are necessary for the mass adoption of BEVs to happen, and the petition cites studies on how about four-in-ten Americans say they are ready to go electric but more than half of potential EV customers would not spend $50,000 on an all-electric car.
"The Equinox EV is the answer for the millions of American drivers who want to go electric but need something their families can afford," reads the conclusion of the petition.
The petition is still collecting signatures and will be delivered to GM after the Detroit Auto Show.
