Chevrolet Blazer EV SS, Now Packing 615 Hp, to Pace Daytona 500 on Sunday
The new Chevrolet Blazer EV SS, the high-performance variant of the brand’s midsize electric SUV, is finally reaching dealers this winter, and we’ll see it on Sunday as the pace car for the 67th running of the Daytona 500.
This will mark the first time a Blazer—and any electric vehicle—has paced “The Great American Race” down in Florida.
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“Chevrolet has a long history with racing – it’s in our DNA – and the Blazer EV SS is a testament to that,” said Scott Bell, vice president of Chevrolet. “We’re excited for customers to watch the Blazer EV SS — the quickest SS we’ve ever produced — pace such an iconic race this weekend.”
Chevrolet will also debut its Blazer EV.R NASCAR Prototype ahead of the Daytona 500. The prototype represents a joint effort between NASCAR and OEM partners, with the intent of exploring new and emerging automotive technologies. Details were not shared, but look for something similar to the NASCAR EV prototype that was unveiled in July of last year together with ABB.
More Power Than Initially Advertised
Let’s go back to the road-going Blazer EV SS, if you will. As it turns out, power and torque are now listed at 615 hp and 650 lb-ft, matching the recently introduced 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V. That’s more power than the 557 hp promised at the premiere of the Blazer EV in July of 2022 and the 595 hp announced along with 2025 pricing details last October.
Carrying a base MSRP of $69,999 in Canada, the Blazer EV SS achieves 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) sprints in 3.4 seconds in Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode—same as the Jeep Wagoneer S and a tad quicker than the Tesla Model Y Performance. Range is estimated at 488 km.
Front Brembo brakes, a sport-tuned chassis, 17.7-inch colour touchscreen and standard Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance technology are also included.
Want a more affordable option? The entry-level LT FWD model starts at $54,499 (MSRP), although the 220 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque sound like a fairly big compromise. The LT AWD model costs $57,999, but you get 300 hp and 355 lb-ft. Furthermore, range has been slightly improved, going from 449 km to 455 km.
RS models are also available, offering a choice of FWD, RWD and AWD configurations.
