California is requiring manufacturers to make available zero emissions vehicles, and that is resulting in a raft of EVs at the Los Angeles Motor Show. This year the Fiat 500E is debuting, along with a production version of the Spark EV.
Chevrolet has announced pricing information for the new EV and it comes in at $25,000 after a $7,500 tax credit. The cheapest EV available currently is the Mitsubishi i which comes in at $21,625 after the credit. Of course, that car is more glorified golf cart than anything, but it is still an interesting comparison.
In case you think the Spark EV is something General Motors wants to do, it will only be available in two states: California and Oregon. GM plans to sell 500,000 vehicles with electrification by 2017, but don’t expect the Spark EV to play a big part in that. Despite this, GM has put a lot into the Spark EV, learning valuable information from the Volt. For instance, the car offers a priority charging feature that enables you to select the most cost efficient time for your Spark EV to charge. GM says the Spark EV can use DC fast charging an unlimited amount of times without harming the battery.
DC fast charging will enable you to charge the pack to an 80 percent capacity in just 20 minutes. The car has a 20-kWh battery pack, but GM isn’t saying right now how much range it has squeezed out of it. GM only says that its expected range will be among the best in the EV segment. It will likely be around 80 or 85 miles, but that’s just a guess. Acceleration is surprisingly snappy, under the 8 second mark to 60 miles per hour. The main appeal for this car will be in urban areas, where its small space is an asset, and charging stations can be found plentifully. In addition to going on sale in California and Oregon, the Spark EV will be offered in Canada, South Korea and a few other unnamed global markets.
