Chevy Equinox EV Auto‑Braking Halts on Shadow
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- Chevy Equinox EV driver experienced sudden automatic emergency braking while backing into a driveway, stopping over a harmless shadow and nearly causing whiplash.
- NHTSA finalized a 2024 standard that will require automatic emergency braking on all passenger cars and trucks by September 2029, projecting it will save at least 360 lives and prevent 24,000 injuries each year.
- GM drivers, including a Cadillac Optiq owner, reported the system as “way too twitchy,” with multiple unintended activations while parking.
- GM issued a software update intended to reduce false‑positive braking after driver complaints.
- Drivers have disabled the auto‑braking feature altogether, while others note it has occasionally prevented collisions with animals or unseen objects.
- Chevy Equinox EV is being marketed with up to 20 % off MSRP or $10,000 discounts despite the braking concerns.
Why it matters: Drivers of GM’s EVs face a trade‑off: the auto‑braking system that NHTSA expects to save hundreds of lives can also trigger on innocuous shadows, causing abrupt stops and potential injury. GM’s pending software update aims to curb these false activations, affecting owners who currently disable the feature.
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