CHARLOTTE, N.C. – When you think about the battery-electric-powered Chevrolet Blazer EV, range, passenger room or cargo capacity might come to mind. But quickness and agility? Not so much. After all, it is positioned as a family-friendly, midsize electric SUV.
Yet, to introduce the 2025 Blazer EV SS – the latest in a long line of souped-up Chevys to wear that factory-installed performance badge – the company takes us to the Rick Hendrick-backed Ten Tenths Motor Club that’s in the shadow of turns 1 and 2 of the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
With its “Wide Open Watts” function activated, amping the propulsion system’s output to 615 hp and 650 lb.-ft. (881 Nm) of torque, the Blazer EV SS clocks the run to 60 mph (97 km/h) in just 3.4 seconds.
Take the kids to school, then take the Blazer EV SS to the track.
As Scott Bell, vice president of Global Chevrolet, tells WardsAuto: “It has everything you want a midsize SUV to do. But if you want to have a little fun, it has the goods to deliver.”
Yes, with 303 miles (488 km) of range this version of the Blazer with a 102-kWh lithium-ion battery pack sacrifices a bit of range compared with the rear-wheel-drive Blazer EV’s 334 miles (538 km). But it still offers the same seating for five passengers and 59.8 cu.-ft. (1,693 L) of luggage space. And then, there’s that performance.
Developing the Vehicle
The Blazer EV SS takes advantage of the considerable development work undertaken for the 2024 Blazer EV, including the use of virtual tools for simulation as well as road testing with Driver-in-the-Loop simulation melding the two.
Chief Engineer Marissa Cullens says the SS and non-SS Blazers underwent more than 10,000 hours of testing, including dynamometer testing of the power units for an equivalent of 225,000 miles (362,100 km).
“Something special we did for SS while working on performance was taking it to Angeles Crest,” Cullens says, referring to the 66-mile (106-km) highway in Southern California with winding roads and elevation changes.
The development team also tested the SS on the Back of the Dragon, not to be confused with Tail of the Dragon. The former is 32 miles (51 km) of road with 483 curves in Virginia; the latter is 11 miles (18 km) with 318 curves in Tennessee.
For acceleration, suspension tuning, stopping, and chassis control for the SS, developers traveled to Grattan Raceway in Michigan.
Propulsion Setup
The AWD vehicle features a front drive unit that provides 258 lb.-ft. (350 Nm) of peak torque and another permanent-magnet motor in the rear that generates 391 lb.-ft. (530 Nm). For packaging efficiencies the front drive unit integrates the power electronics, while in the rear the traction power inverter is integrated.
For the SS, engineers improved cooling by segmenting the magnets and employed silicon-carbide DC-AC inverters to more efficiently transform battery power to drive the motors while minimizing energy loss.
‘Wow’ Factor
To get that quick 0-60 mph time, Launch Control is required by activating the “Wide Open Watts” mode. Essentially, torque ramps up before the vehicle is in motion, with the accelerator pedal floored while the brake pedal is applied – heavily.
A timer on the driver information screen indicates when it is ready to launch. (If you don’t watch the clock it will time out and you have to try it again, as I learned to my chagrin.) When it is ready, release the brake and…WOW!
Of course, it isn’t all about accelerating. There’s also the non-trivial issue of stopping. The front brakes are Brembos with six-piston calipers clamping 390-mm rotors. There are 345-mm rotors with sliding caliper brakes in the rear. The standard Blazer EV SS brakes have ferritic nitrocarburizing on the rotors for durability. For those opting for the Performance package that coating isn’t used on the rotors to reduce brake fade.
Handling the Turns
You don’t go to a track designed by Alexander Wurz, a two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, just to go in a straight line.
The Blazer EV SS has a curb weight of 5,730 lbs. (2,599 kg), which is a lot of mass to move and manage. The good news is – whether you’re driving on a track, Angeles Crest or a local parkway – the mass is positioned low in the vehicle, improving handling.
But to achieve an SS-level of control and handling, engineers also employed a more robust chassis and suspension system. The SS has 60% stiffer antiroll bars in the front and rear, while the front and rear springs are 30% stiffer to help mitigate wallowing when tossing it around.
Front monotube shocks limit rebound and improve the steering, which employs a faster ratio at 15.8:1 (vs. 18.46:1 in all other models). Competition Mode accessed through the 17.7-in. (45-cm) color LCD display allows driver settings to enhance control.
The Blazer EV SS “makes a good statement about the brand,” says Bell. “Performance is in our DNA, and this is a good proof point of that.”
The folks at Chevy don’t take the “SS” designation lightly, and in the performance of the Blazer EV SS, they’ve delivered.
