GM begins shipping a pricier-than-expected Chevy Blazer EV

The Chevrolet Blazer EV, a battery electric SUV that is part of GM’s bid to surpass Tesla in U.S. EV sales by 2025, is headed to dealerships.

The automaker said Monday that the first 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EVs have started shipping from GM’s factory in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. GM also released details on pricing and range estimates for a few of the SUV’s trim models.

The upshot? Prices are higher than expected.

The Blazer EV follows the behemoth GMC Hummer pickup and Cadillac Lyriq in the new Ultium architecture — the modular electric platform that includes a new battery design and software and is at the heart of the automaker’s EV strategy.

The vehicle will initially be available in three trims: luxury (LT), rally sport (RS) and super sport (SS). The 2LT front-wheel drive version will be the entry-level option. The company said it’s also making a “police pursuit” vehicle available to law enforcement early next year.

GM, like most other automakers, has launched with its more pricey trim. Still, it seems even some of the lower priced trims are still higher than GM’s original estimate. Last year, the company revealed Blazer EV and said the base version would start at about $44,995. At the time, the company said it would price the 2LT FWD trim at about $47,595 and the RS at $51,995.

In reality, the trims are as much as $10,000 higher than originally estimated.

The first Blazer EV to hit dealer lots this summer will be the RS all-wheel drive, a model that starts at $60,215 and has an estimated range of 279 miles. This vehicle is loaded with a number of features, including gloss black trim, a heads-up display, heated front and rear seats, ventilated front seats and animated exterior lighting. Prices don’t include tax, title, license, dealer fees and optional equipment.

The RS rear-wheel drive, which is expected to have a 320-mile range and has a few extras including a Bose audio system, will start at $61,790. The 2LT AWD, which starts at $56,7151 and has a range of 279 miles, will come equipped with more features than the FWD version, including 17.7-inch-diagonal infotainment touchscreen and 11-inch-instrument cluster, heated steering wheel, heated front seats, heated side mirrors and wireless phone charging, among other features.

GM said the RS rear-wheel drive and 2LT AWD trims will begin production this fall. The company has pushed the production start date of the SS version to spring 2024.