Chevrolet Spark EV

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SanDust said:
On the Spark EV being better than the gas equivalents, I suspect the same will be true of the Fiat 500e. These smaller cars are made for EV drive trains.

In the case of the Fiat, the gas version was already pretty well received, particularly in Abarth spec. The EV version made a good car even better.

In the case of the Spark, the electric motor turned a terrible car into one that's pretty decent. If GM/Daewoo had spent as much time refining the Spark's ICE as Fiat did, the difference probably wouldn't be so dramatic. But then, the ICE Spark was built to a price...the most expensive version barely touches the Fiat's base price.
 
RonDawg said:
But then, the ICE Spark was built to a price...the most expensive version barely touches the Fiat's base price.
Right on with that. The cars are in totally different classes. The Fiat 500 really competes with the Mini while the Spark competes with the Smart. I guess this proves that the ride and performance advantages of an EV drive can make a decent car out of just about anything. (Not knocking the Spark, I think it's ranked #1 in India and China, which are its primary markets).
 
SanDust said:
RonDawg said:
But then, the ICE Spark was built to a price...the most expensive version barely touches the Fiat's base price.
Right on with that. The cars are in totally different classes. The Fiat 500 really competes with the Mini while the Spark competes with the Smart. I guess this proves that the ride and performance advantages of an EV drive can make a decent car out of just about anything. (Not knocking the Spark, I think it's ranked #1 in India and China, which are its primary markets).

Actually, the Smart is closer to the Fiat than the Spark, demographic-wise. The Smart and the Fiat are targeted to young urbanites seeking a cool European city runabout. Neither are the cheapest nor the most fuel efficient for their size, but that's secondary to the image factor.

The ICE Spark OTOH takes up where the Aveo left off, and continues a legacy that started with the Chevy Sprint, and arguably the Chevette Scooter, a car so stripped even the back seat was optional. It was never meant to be cool; it was meant to be dirt cheap. It's GM's cheapest car in the US, and America's second-cheapest new car; only the Nissan Versa SV is cheaper. That's why I said GM "built it to a price."

In terms of marketing to urban American youth, GM has put its efforts towards the Sonic instead of the Spark, with advertisements like a Sonic doing a barrel roll, or parachuting out of an airplane, or bungee jumping in which the car slowly drops over the edge every time a certain hyperlink is clicked on.
 
SanDust said:
(Not knocking the Spark, I think it's ranked #1 in India and China, which are its primary markets).

Spark, I think, is ranked 145 in China.

http://bestsellingcarsblog.com/2013/06/16/china-5-months-2013-vw-lavida-and-ford-focus-double-sales/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In India it is ranked 55.

http://bestsellingcarsblog.com/2013/06/06/india-may-2013-maruti-dzire-leads-the-ranking-for-the-first-time/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not doing too well in the "primary markets", I guess ;)
 
evnow said:
Spark, I think, is ranked 145 in China.
Not doing too well in the "primary markets", I guess ;)
OMG. I forgot that the Toyota Highlander and the BMW 3-Series were in the same class as a Spark!

The point was that the Spark is decent for the sub-compact class it competes in. Along that line, I was thinking more about quality. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-11-29/india-business/27971481_1_mpv-segments-chevrolet-spark-chevrolet-optra" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (The new Chevrolet Spark leads the compact car segment, with the Chevrolet Aveo similarly topping the midsize segment); http://www.sify.com/finance/chevrolet-spark-bags-top-award-for-quality-imagegallery-auto-jl1kdEiagfe.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (Chevrolet Spark has won the top award for quality for the third consecutive year in the India Automotive Initial Quality Study).

Of course you bring up an interesting point. In 2012 the Spark ranked 34/1000 in worldwide sales. The Leaf ranked 468/1000. http://bestsellingcarsblog.com/2013/03/20/world-full-year-2012-discover-the-top-500-best-selling-models/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; If the Spark "isn't doing too well" then how do we describe how well the Leaf is doing? :cry:
 
Got to test drive the Spark EV today. Very Impressed. Nice upright seating position with good visibility. Comfortably seats my 6’1” frame with sufficient knee room for me in the rear seat without seat repositioning. Nice quality interior finish, and both dash and infotainment displays are clear and sharp with graphics that really pop. Power comes on solidly and stays thru to merging speeds. Very believable sub-8 second 0-60. Quiet ride with virtually no inverter whine. “Drive” produces lift throttle coast, while “Low” gives stronger lift throttle regen. Remaining range display shows a forecast range based on previous driving PLUS a Max range above and Min range below. These bookend numbers will merge as battery SOC drops. Push button start and parking brake, along with a ”Sport” mode that re-curves the throttle for more aggressive acceleration. Rear seats fold down leaving ~5° incline, but flush with rear cargo area.

Bottom line is it feels a sporty and capable drive. Lots of guesstimation about how the Spark EV will do in the market. I envision test drives will be surprising, and very compelling to perspective owners.
 
KeiJidosha said:
Got to test drive the Spark EV today. Very Impressed. Nice upright seating position with good visibility. Comfortably seats my 6’1” frame with sufficient knee room for me in the rear seat without seat repositioning. Nice quality interior finish, and both dash and infotainment displays are clear and sharp with graphics that really pop. Power comes on solidly and stays thru to merging speeds. Very believable sub-8 second 0-60. Quiet ride with virtually no inverter whine. “Drive” produces lift throttle coast, while “Low” gives stronger lift throttle regen. Remaining range display shows a forecast range based on previous driving PLUS a Max range above and Min range below. These bookend numbers will merge as battery SOC drops. Push button start and parking brake, along with a ”Sport” mode that re-curves the throttle for more aggressive acceleration. Rear seats fold down leaving ~5° incline, but flush with rear cargo area.

Bottom line is it feels a sporty and capable drive. Lots of guesstimation about how the Spark EV will do in the market. I envision test drives will be surprising, and very compelling to perspective owners.

Thanks for the review. I sat in a Spark at the last LA Auto Show and although it was the ICE version (the EV version was displayed but you couldn't sit in it) and I found the materials inside to be, well, "on par" for its price. And I haven't seen car doors that thin since Chevy sold the Sprint. But I was impressed with the MyLink infotainment system which a rep demo'd for me, and when Apple made its recent announcement how it is working with auto manufacturers to better integrate iOS with car infotainment systems, the image they used was that of the MyLink.

That Max/Min range is perhaps the best answer so far to the GoM for those who feel the need to have a set of mileage numbers rather than charge percentages.
 
KeiJidosha said:
Got to test drive the Spark EV today. Very Impressed.

Nice review, K. I'll be looking for a dealer with a demo unit.

EDIT: I just realized that you're the perfect one to compare it with the feeling of driving the MiniE, one of my EV benchmarks. How did it compare per your calibrated sensors?
 
Boomer23 said:
KeiJidosha said:
Got to test drive the Spark EV today. Very Impressed.

Nice review, K. I'll be looking for a dealer with a demo unit.

EDIT: I just realized that you're the perfect one to compare it with the feeling of driving the MiniE, one of my EV benchmarks. How did it compare per your calibrated sensors?
Downtown traffic did not give a lot of opportunity to check handling. But acceleration is like the MINI E in that it just keeps on pulling. Fit EV feels as strong on take-off, but starts to wane above ~40mph. Spark, like the MINI E seems to pull well into the 60's. Lift throttle regen is not as strong as the MINI E, even in "Low". Closer to the Fit EV in "B", but no idea if it gets stronger descending inclines. I'm really looking forward to an instrumented test (or a chance to drive it out Decker Canyon to PCH). Impression was defiantly fun-to-drive. :)
 
KeiJidosha said:
Got to test drive the Spark EV today. Very Impressed. Nice upright seating position with good visibility. Comfortably seats my 6’1” frame with sufficient knee room for me in the rear seat without seat repositioning. Nice quality interior finish, and both dash and infotainment displays are clear and sharp with graphics that really pop. Power comes on solidly and stays thru to merging speeds. Very believable sub-8 second 0-60. Quiet ride with virtually no inverter whine. “Drive” produces lift throttle coast, while “Low” gives stronger lift throttle regen. Remaining range display shows a forecast range based on previous driving PLUS a Max range above and Min range below. These bookend numbers will merge as battery SOC drops. Push button start and parking brake, along with a ”Sport” mode that re-curves the throttle for more aggressive acceleration. Rear seats fold down leaving ~5° incline, but flush with rear cargo area.

Bottom line is it feels a sporty and capable drive. Lots of guesstimation about how the Spark EV will do in the market. I envision test drives will be surprising, and very compelling to perspective owners.

This is awesome news! Do we know if the Spark is just a compliance car or will it come to all 50 states?
 
SanDust said:
evnow said:
Spark, I think, is ranked 145 in China.
Not doing too well in the "primary markets", I guess ;)
OMG. I forgot that the Toyota Highlander and the BMW 3-Series were in the same class as a Spark!
OMG, I didn't realize you had all those qualifiers in your generic statement !
 
jhm614 said:
...Do we know if the Spark is just a compliance car or will it come to all 50 states?
My brother lives in Kansas so I asked about availability there. Dealers have been specifically instructed not to sell outside California for now. I think Thermal Battery Management makes Spark EV very attractive to those living with a wider temp range. Also was told the heater uses a heat pump, not a resistive element. Seems to me like GM has gone to a lot of trouble to optimize a car that is meant only for compliance.
 
I went to test drive the Spark EV today at Bunnin Chevrolet. (Culver City). Took the drive there in the LEAF. Trip was 52 miles. Left with 100% charge...got there with 3 bars remaining...(27 mi on the GOM). Had to charge it 3 hrs to get back to 9 bars. Only made it to 97 mi total trip with 1 bar remaining (6 mi GOM) and had to stop in Thousand Oaks to charge for 1 hr to finish the 107 mi total trip. So here I am wishing that the LEAF had a little more range. (My Batt Capacity reads 93% now). I figured the FIT or the Spark with the extra range would allow me to make trips like this with less on the road charging needed to complete the trip (with LBW and 6 miles left on the GOM)

I had high expectations of the Spark being a sensationally quick car with its 400lbs of torque. I guess my expectations were too high. It went from being one of my top picks, to one I probably will not consider getting now. Here were my findings:

Definitely less interior space. The leg room is fine in front and back. But the width is noticeably tighter than the LEAF. The salesman and my arms were almost touching at times. Rear cargo space is not very big, and the floor is high...(same as the hatch opening). The LEAF cargo bin area is much deeper.

Didn't really like the hard baby blue plastic trim across the dash and door panels.

Drove the Spark in town and on the fwy 75mph+. I had the car in sport mode. There was no tire burning, shove you in the back acceleration that I expected from the 400lbs/torque. I really think the LEAF feels more impressive 0-30mph still. (May have been the 250lb salesman in the passenger seat causing this???) . Or perhaps because the LEAF is so quiet and smooth, the acceleration seems more impressive. On the FWY and at speeds above 40mph, acceleration still feels non existent to me (like the LEAF). Although looking at the speedometer needle climb in my 60-75mph testing, I would say it is faster than the LEAF. And flooring it at 20mph felt surprisingly zippy. So perhaps faster in instrumented testing above 40mph...still definitely not anything I would switch from the LEAF for, as I originally though I might. Being a performance junkie, I even brought my Vbox GPS tester (Like the magazines use) , but after my underwhelming impressions, didn't really see the point.

Car definitely has more road/tire noise on the 91 FWY. Enough so that it didn't even seem much quieter than a similar ICE vehicle might be. More noise in general.

On the fwy, at higher speeds, the car had an annoying instability to it (almost like it wanted to swerve). Noticed it a couple of times. Also had a much choppier ride than the LEAF. Not sure if the suspension was much better handling in twisties perhaps, but didn't notice anything particularly astounding in my city driving.

In the pictures the steering wheel looked kind of cheap...but I actually found it kind of nice with the aluminum and the angular leather wrap.

The car only has the 3.3KW charger, and currently are not equipped with the DC SAE Combo quick charger port.

After driving all the way there...driving the Spark, and then getting right back in my car....I would say the LEAF just seems more upscale. Smoother, quieter, and more amenities. (ie, LED headlights, rearview camera, on board navigation, rear heated seats, DC quick charge port, etc)

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ELROY said:
I went to test drive the Spark EV today at Bunnin Chevrolet
Thanks for the review!
I was hoping someone would go over and drive one of them.
Seems that the biggest question goes unanswered. What is the range like? Manufacturers can make all the claims they want, but how many miles can it really do.

I rented the ICE version of the Spark for 2 weeks. I generally liked the car but agree with your assessment of the ride, and I hear the EV is much better than the ICE. I found the car tiny, cute, fun to drive in town, but unnerving on the highway. Very bouncy and gets tossed around by passing trucks or high winds. Overall stressful ride on the highway. I found the car cute but impractically small. My kids could not ride in the back seat because the headrest sticks forward making it very uncomfortable especially if you're small. There's no truck space to speak of and looks like there's much less in the EV. Barely room for groceries.

Range is the big question. Did GM manage to eek out an appreciably longer range. I tend to doubt its that significant, and given the other disadvantages of such a small car, it doesn't really matter to me. I also find the Fiat 500 and Honda Fit to be too small as well. It surprised me to see how much bigger the Leaf feels inside than the Volt. And the Volt is much bigger than these other cars.
 
dm33 said:
Range is the big question. Did GM manage to eek out an appreciably longer range. I tend to doubt its that significant, and given the other disadvantages of such a small car, it doesn't really matter to me.
EPA range of Spark - 82 miles
EPA range of Leaf charged to 100% - 84 miles
 
ELROY said:
I went to test drive the Spark EV today at Bunnin Chevrolet. (Culver City).

Thanks for the detailed review. I took a double-take at it because the outside looks really close to the Sonic that I driving as a rental (with option to buy) before the Leaf. Nothing like a Chevy interior to put you off a car, I say. Cramped. It's what kept me off the Volt too.
 
That's the first EV I've seen which doesn't scream EV (but cheap econobox instead), don't see any blue accents, etc. Wondering if Chevy is planning on offering multiple trims, since this car didn't have CCS, and the front bumper seems to have cutouts for foglights.
 
Thanks for the review, Elroy. My sense of that while the spark does have 400 Foot-Pounds coming off of the engine, they run it through a smaller 3:1 gear. Most of the other manufacturers (Nissan, Tesla, etc.) use a ~9:1 gearing. That means that at wheel torque is roughly equivalent, if a little better on the Spark. It's nowhere near the wheel torque of the P85 Tesla, however.
 
If you haven't already read it, here's a review from Consumers Reports:

http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2013/06/first-drive-electrifying-the-chevrolet-spark.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not sure if they liked it, but they didn't pan it.
 
Very positive First Drive report from Green Car Reports:

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1085622_2014-chevrolet-spark-ev-first-drive-report" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
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