Compare the2025 Chevrolet Equinox EVVS 2024 Tesla Model Y

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Equinox EV are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Model Y doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Equinox EV offers an optional HD Surround Vision to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model Y only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Equinox EV’s standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Rear Cross Traffic Braking automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Equinox EV’s optional driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Model Y doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The Equinox EV has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model Y doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Equinox EV and the Model Y have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems and rearview cameras.

The Chevrolet Equinox EV weighs 525 to 678 pounds more than the Tesla Model Y. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

There are over 15 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Equinox EV’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 106 more problems per 100 vehicles, Tesla is ranked 32nd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 78 more problems per 100 vehicles, Tesla is ranked 26th.

The Equinox EV can travel longer on a full charge than the Model Y on a full charge:

For better traction, the Equinox EV’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Model Y (275/40R21 vs. 255/35R21).

The Chevrolet Equinox EV’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Tesla Model Y only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Equinox EV has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Model Y doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Equinox EV’s wheelbase is 2.5 inches longer than on the Model Y (116.3 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Equinox EV’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the Model Y’s (38.1 feet vs. 39.8 feet).

The Equinox EV has 2.2 inches more front hip room, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear hip room and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Model Y.

The Equinox EV has a much larger cargo volume than the Model Y with its rear seat up (26.4 vs. 16.9 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Equinox EV’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Model Y doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Equinox EV uses the StabiliTrak® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Model Y doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Equinox EV offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Model Y doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Equinox EV has a standard rear wiper. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Equinox EV’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model Y doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Equinox EV has standard extendable sun visors. The Model Y doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Equinox EV keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Model Y doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.