Out with BEV3: GM lays the groundwork for its next-generation EV platform

General Motors is developing a new electric architecture, BEV-N, to replace BEV3. First production cars are expected in late 2028 or early 2029, with the next Chevrolet Equinox EV as launch model.

Author: Polina Kotikova

04:48 26-06-2026

Add SpeedMe to your preferred Google sources

General Motors is preparing a new electric architecture called BEV-N, which is set to replace the current BEV3 platform. The first production vehicles on this base are expected toward the end of 2028 or in early 2029, and the leading candidate to debut it is the Chevrolet Equinox EV.

For GM, this is more than a routine technical update. BEV3 currently underpins several major models: the Chevrolet Equinox EV and Blazer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, Optiq, Vistiq and Celestiq, as well as the China-only Buick Electra E5 and Electra E4. The same architecture was used for the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX — ZDX production ended in September 2025, while the Prologue, according to Automotive News, is set to wind down in December 2026. The switch to BEV-N will therefore touch not just one model, but the entire next wave of GM’s electric vehicles.

Technical details of the new platform have not yet been disclosed. The current BEV3 debuted with the Cadillac Lyriq as a 2023 model-year vehicle and uses a «skateboard» layout: the battery is integrated into the floor, and the architecture supports front-, rear- and all-wheel drive. The logic behind the change is clear: by 2028–2029 the bar for electric vehicles will have moved — buyers will expect more range, faster charging, lower production costs and tighter platform sharing between mainstream Chevrolets and premium Cadillacs.

Picking the Equinox EV as the first BEV-N model looks pragmatic. It is not a halo flagship but a volume crossover, which lets GM stress-test the economics of the new platform faster. According to sources, the Blazer EV will follow — a larger and pricier model where range, power and a strong all-wheel-drive version matter most for the competition.

In the US market, GM has to fight not only Tesla’s Model Y but also the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV5/EV6, Ford Mustang Mach-E and the wave of upcoming electric crossovers from Japanese brands. So BEV-N has to deliver not a flashy name but concrete advantages: price, battery, charging and a workable margin for the manufacturer.

If GM manages to make BEV-N cheaper and more advanced than BEV3, the older Equinox EV and Lyriq could lose their appeal on the used market much faster.