Spending a week with an electric vehicle (EV) for the first time was an exciting experience. I’ve only ever driven gas-powered cars, so the Chevy Equinox was a big change. I remember testing a Tesla Roadster back in 2011, and it was incredibly fast and fun, but the Equinox offered a totally different experience.

The Equinox arrived at my house in San Francisco one Monday morning, and it’s a beautiful car. The first thing that struck me was how modern it looks. No more fiddling with keys; it unlocks automatically when you approach it. You just sit in the driver’s seat and it starts without needing to press any buttons.

One of the biggest fears about EVs is charging. I wasn’t sure how to plug it in or how much it would cost. I figured I could just go to a Shell charging station at the mall where I go to the gym. I didn’t need to worry about the range right away since it had about 300 miles of charge when it was delivered.

Using the Equinox was surprisingly easy. It has a wide touchscreen on the dashboard that controls nearly everything. Connecting my phone via Bluetooth was a bit tricky at first, but once I found the right button, it was simple. I loved the built-in Google Maps, which is way better than the system in my Toyota.

The Equinox also has some interesting safety features. There’s an anti-crash system that vibrates the driver’s seat to warn you about nearby objects. It’s kind of like it taps into your senses and helps you avoid things naturally.

Driving the Equinox was a blast. It has really good power and can quickly climb hills. The freeway acceleration feels smooth and responsive, similar to the Tesla Roadster. It was a bit tight on suspension and a bit loose on steering, but that’s just my personal preference.

Charging the car was another story. On Tuesday morning, I had to find the charging port, download an app, and connect it to my Apple Pay. It made a nice little beep when it started charging. However, on Friday, I had trouble finding an available charging station, and the app wasn’t helpful. I had to call support and eventually found one that worked.

Overall, the Equinox showed me that GM is serious about making EVs. I’m not ready to switch yet, but it was a great first EV experience.

A Week with an EV: My First Chevy Equinox Adventure

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