Spark will be the first electric vehicle from GM since the ill-fated EV1 when California was mandating that EVs make up 10% of the market.
Chevrolet today announced it will produce an all-electric version of the Chevrolet Spark mini-car – the Spark EV. It will be sold in limited quantities in some U.S. and global markets starting in 2013 in California, said Tony Posawitz, vehicle line director for the Chevrolet Volt at the Business of Plugging in Conference in Dearborn, Michigan.
General Motors needs to the CAFE credits from an EV in order to meet impending fuel economy requirements in the U.S.
In a statement issued subsequently, Chevrolet said that feedback from participants in Chevrolet’s electric vehicle demonstration fleets in Shanghai (Sail EV), Korea (Cruze EV) and India (Beat EV) are being incorporated into the Spark EV.
Spark is a five-door, four-passenger hatch that is already on sale in Europe, Korea, India, Mexico, South America and Australia. It comes to the U.S. next year as a 2013 model. The Chevrolet Spark is 14 inches shorter than the recently launched Chevrolet Sonic. It’s three feet longer than the Smart Fortwo and four inches longer than the Fiat 500. In the United States and Canada, the Spark will be powered by a 1.2L four-cylinder engine that delivers 83 horsepower (61 kW).
General Motors announced last month that it will develop with SAIC Motor Corp. (SAIC) a new electric vehicle architecture in China. Further details of the vehicles to be designed, developed and sold in China under the Shanghai GM and SAIC brands were not disclosed. SAIC and GM will also use the new architecture to build electric vehicles around the globe for their own profits. (See GM and SAIC to Develop New Electric Vehicle in China with U.S. Taxpayer Supported GM’s EV Knowledge and Technology)
The GM SAIC deal is the outgrowth of the latest Chinese industrial policy established roughly a year ago that required all western automakers to transfer the latest electric vehicle and other advanced technologies before the Communist party would approve further expansion of western companies in China.
“The Spark EV offers customers living in urban areas who have predictable driving patterns or short commutes an all-electric option,” said Jim Federico, global vehicle chief engineer for electric vehicles at Chevrolet. “It complements Chevrolet’s growing range of electrified vehicles, including the Volt extended-range EV and the 2013 Malibu Eco with eAssist technology.”
“Our global demo fleets continue to provide insight into the needs of electric vehicle customers living in urban environments,” said Federico. “The Spark EV is another step in Chevrolet’s plan to provide customers with a variety of electrification solutions to address the lifestyle and transportation needs of people around the world.”
A123 Systems will supply the advanced nanophosphate lithium-ion battery packs that will power the Spark EV. Details on specific markets, range, quantities and pricing will be announced later.
