Early in our first test of the Chevrolet Equinox EV this week, we turned to the Monroney window sticker to see the options, exact model number, and price for this five-passenger crossover. The price surprised us first. $50,745. Whoa. We thought it was going to be closer to $30K, based on GM’s early price promises for the model. Next up, we spotted a charge in the options list that we’d never seen before. A “California Emissions Requirements” fee of $500.
What Is GM’s $500 Electric Vehicle California Emissions Requirements Fee?
We did a little digging on this subject and discovered a few things. Here they are in bullet points:
1) It is not required by the state of California, or any state for that matter.
2) There is no California Emissions Requirements fee in California for EVs charged to automakers.
3) This fee is a GM-specific fee, not a general EV fee charged by all automakers (thus far).
Our research on this subject led us to GM Authority. The publication reports that it was told by a GM spokesperson:
“EVs registered in California and states adopting CARB (California Air Resources Board) regulations require specific emissions certification, which includes enhanced warranty coverage for certain propulsion-related parts, resulting in a $500 charge that will be applied to select 2026 model year EVs. In certain situations, based on market dynamics, Cadillac may provide a $500 credit. If provided, such credit will be reflected on the Monroney.”
The quote was in the context of a Cadillac EV that GM Authority had for testing, which also had the $500 fee.
Our Take On the GM $500 Fee
The vehicle we tested was built in Mexico by a company headquartered in Detroit. Its motor was imported from Korea. The battery parts were made in Tennessee and Ohio. It wore New York plates, and I am testing it in Massachusetts. As far as I can tell, it has never driven a mile in the state of California and likely will never. Tacking on a charge and calling it a California Emissions Requirements Option seems disingenuous to me.
According to Cox Automotive, GM is struggling to sell EVs right now, with Chevrolet selling fewer than 2,500 EVs in January. In addition, much of the reporting around GM EVs is related to five-figure discounts. This low-key $500 added cost to the consumer seems like a bad play by GM. Coupled with GM’s EVs having infotainment and driver-assist systems that are temporary and require fees to operate after a trial period, it feels to us as though GM is trying to nibble at the edges of shoppers’ wallets.
We’ve reached out to our GM contact for more on this topic, and we will edit and update our story if any additional information is provided.
What is your take on this $500 fee imposed by GM on its shoppers and listed under the Options section of their window sticker? Does it feel strange to you, or totally legit? Tell us in the comments below.
Images by John Goreham
John Goreham is a 14-year veteran of Torque News. An accomplished writer and a long-time expert in vehicle testing, Goreham also serves as the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association and has a growing social media presence. He’s also a 10-year staff writer and community moderator for Car Talk. Goreham holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an undergraduate Certificate in Marketing. In addition to vehicle and tire content, he offers deep dives into market trends and opinion pieces. You can follow John Goreham on X and TikTok, and connect with him on LinkedIn.
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