GM has put the final nail in the coffin of the gas-powered Chevy Blazer, clearing the way for its EV replacement, which rolled onto dealer lots in mid-2023. The automaker claims sluggish sales sealed its fate, with a 20% drop in 2024 alone. The Blazer’s best year was 2020, with 95,000 units sold, but GM has failed to replicate that success ever since.
When GM resurrected the Blazer nameplate, truck enthusiasts hoped for a revival of the legendary K5, a rugged, full-size, two-door SUV that embodied the brand’s glory days. Instead, they got a bland, midsize crossover that landed with a resounding “meh.” Hardcore bowtie fans felt let down yet again by another mediocre GM offering.
GM’s EV crusade has already taken out several gas-powered staples of the suburban driveway. The widely popular Chevy Malibu, a long time favorite of commuters and fleet operators, was axed in November 2024 to make room for the Bolt (yawn). The Cadillac XT4 met the same fate in January, with the XT5 and XT6 next in line for execution.
At least GM is throwing performance enthusiasts a bone with the upcoming Blazer EV SS. Originally promised with 557 horsepower, GM has since upped the power number to 615hp. You can bet someone out there is already planning to tune it to 700hp or more.
But here’s the reality check, if GM wants the Blazer EV SS to be a game-changer, it needs to be affordable and reliable. Otherwise, it’ll suffer the same fate as the Cybertruck: overpriced, overhyped, and ignored by the very market the government is desperately trying to convert to EVs.
The EV Blazer will be built at GM’s factory in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, while the gas-powered Blazer sits on death row, awaiting execution.
