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GM's First New Battery Electric Car: 2013 Chevrolet Spark EV To Launch In U.S.

 
11,271 views Oct 11, 2011
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Chevrolet Beat EV electric vehicle with GM executives, India, June 2011

Chevrolet Beat EV electric vehicle with GM executives, India, June 2011

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GM [NYSE:GM] had hoped to announce its latest green vehicle tomorrow morning, at a nice, orderly, staged press event to celebrate Chevrolet's 100th birthday.

But one of its hometown papers jumped the gun and broke the news: The largest domestic car company will launch a small battery electric vehicle in the U.S. market. 

While The Detroit News had the basic story, GreenCarReports can add a few details, based on conversations with a number of sources knowledgeable about the electric car industry.

First, the vehicle is the Chevrolet Spark EV that was spied testing in Michigan just last month (and which we predicted would be GM's first all-electric car sold in the U.S.).

The Spark EV was originally unveiled this past June, as the Chevrolet Beat EV, in India. It is an electric conversion of the upcoming 2013 Chevrolet Spark minicar (known in some markets as the Beat).

Chevrolet Spark

Chevrolet Spark

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Second, the battery Spark will be largely focused on California, and perhaps other states that have adopted its emission standards. The Chevrolet Spark EV won't be offered nationwide--unlike the 2012 Chevy Volt extended-range electric car, which GM says will be available in all 50 states by the end of this year. .

Third, volume will be low, perhaps 2,000 cars a year. This may be just enough for GM to comply with California's unique Zero-Emissions Vehicle mandate.

That number may, in fact, be roughly similar to the planned volumes for the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV, another battery electric conversion of a gasoline car to be sold in California by another large global automaker.

The gasoline version of the Chevrolet Spark, incidentally, will arrive in the first half of next year as a 2013 model. But its front-end design will differ somewhat from the Spark now on sale in Asia and Europe (shown in the photos accompanying this article).

We'll have more details of GM's new all-electric car once the press event kicks off.

Chevrolet Spark - interior

Chevrolet Spark - interior

Enlarge Photo

Meanwhile, consider this: Just five years ago, GM was pilloried by the film Who Killed the Electric Car? which documented its 2002 decision to take back and destroy all of the pioneering EV1 electric cars it had begun to lease in the late Nineties.

From that public ignominy, it now appears that General Motors will soon be the sole global automaker to build and sell gasoline, diesel, mild-hybrid, full-hybrid, range-extended electric, and battery electric vehicles.

What a difference a decade makes.

+++++++++++

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Comments (36)

  1. fb_1001015277 avatar John Briggs Posted: 10/11/2011 7:16pm PDT

    Is it just me, or is "spark" a bad (scary) name for an electric car?
     
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  2. Chris O avatar Chris O Posted: 10/12/2011 3:57am PDT

    Maybe they can expand the range with a Chevy Shock....
     
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  3. fb_100000458268753 avatar Neil Blanchard Posted: 10/12/2011 5:40am PDT

    Or, the Chevy Short?

    Neil
     
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  4. fb_54604718 avatar Dallas May Posted: 10/13/2011 6:13am PDT

    A Chevy Short would have problems selling in America. People would think they were referring to the cars length. "I ain't drivin' no d*** Short car like them Europeans."
     
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  5. James Davis avatar James Davis Posted: 10/12/2011 5:15am PDT

    It's not just you. Since GM is owned by the GOP; they are still trying to use the same scare tactics that got us into two wars that is as worthless and as expensive as the Volt and as will be the Spark.
     
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  6. ev_enthusiast avatar EV Enthusiast Posted: 10/12/2011 8:08am PDT

    i dont think the public is silly enough to be scared by names like spark, lightning, etc.

    they have pizazz and advertising appeal.
     
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  7. CDspeed avatar CDspeed . Posted: 10/12/2011 6:29am PDT

    Since they're going with electric inspired names I think it would be cool if they built an electric sports car and called it something like lightning or jolt.
     
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  8. ev_enthusiast avatar EV Enthusiast Posted: 10/12/2011 9:08am PDT

    would the jolt replace the volt ???????
     
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  9. CDspeed avatar CDspeed . Posted: 10/11/2011 8:16pm PDT

    I think this is fantastic, in Who Killed the Electric Car GM was one of the prime suspects, and now in just ten years they're back with the Volt and now the Spark. This really shows the potential electric cars have had all along.
     
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  10. fb_100001280320465 avatar Ev Now-now Posted: 10/11/2011 8:29pm PDT

    Well, you Ford is making a lot of those EVs, PHEVs, Hybrids too.
     
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  11. fb_100002544459353 avatar Ramon Leigh Posted: 10/11/2011 8:41pm PDT

    Who Killed the Electric Car will forever be remembered as the most fictitious documentary ever put on film. The Nazis' propaganda agency produced more accurate cinema.
     
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  12. fb_1117316783 avatar Larry Wright Posted: 10/11/2011 9:14pm PDT

    Will this car feature the zinc air fuel cell/battery technology?
     
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  13. john_v avatar John Voelcker Posted: 10/12/2011 7:57am PDT

    @Larry: No, it will use nanophosphate lithium-ion cells from A123 Systems.
     
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  14. ev_enthusiast avatar EV Enthusiast Posted: 10/11/2011 9:15pm PDT

    but, but, but -- wont we get stranded in the jungle with an all electric car ? as i stated, it would not be long before gm was forced to come out with an actual ev, and take both feet out of its mouth.

    as far as the name - i like it - about the only good thing gm has done in the past 20 years.
     
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  15. fb_100000473084758 avatar Joe Tomicki Posted: 10/11/2011 11:21pm PDT

    You must be logged in to post your comment.volt flof, spark? gm better get this one right. it better have tech far better than anything out there.
     
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  16. James Davis avatar James Davis Posted: 10/12/2011 5:08am PDT

    Didn't GM say that they were going to be building this EV in China to the desires and whims of the Chinese people and Ford was considering doing the same thing? America has more jobs than they know what to do with, so it will be no big deal when GM packs their bags and moves over to China or India. I don't think we will miss them at all...Nissan can just step in and take their place. Nissan has better EVs anyhow and a new 10 minute super charger.
     
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  17. john_v avatar John Voelcker Posted: 10/12/2011 8:00am PDT

    @James: Please point me to the source for your statement that GM will build the Spark EV in China.

    Also, Nissan does not "have" a new "10 minute super charger". They are researching it and it's currently a lab prototype that may take a decade or more to reach production, if ever. See here for the actual, you know, facts: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1067182_nissan-develops-10-minute-rapid-charger-for-leaf-electric-car
     
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  18. fb_100000458268753 avatar Neil Blanchard Posted: 10/12/2011 5:44am PDT

    Having a large open grill designed to cool an internal combustion engine on an EV seems silly, and it adds a lot of aerodynamics drag. It should look at least as smooth as the EV1, and smooth wheels would also help a lot.

    I think aero is the main limiting factor for range, for any given pack size.

    Neil
     
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  19. fb_1001015277 avatar John Briggs Posted: 10/12/2011 6:10am PDT

    This reminds me, where is the 2012 Ford Focus EV that we were promised in 2011. We only have two and a half months left in the year and I do believe they promised to ship this year.
     
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  20. N Riley avatar Neal Riley Posted: 10/12/2011 8:03am PDT

    Yeah, John. No information about the Ford Focus EV at all. Not even to people who registered to be kept informed. It would not surprise me if Ford did not delay the Focus EV for several more months.
     
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  21. ev_enthusiast avatar EV Enthusiast Posted: 10/12/2011 8:50am PDT

    all the cars are having delays. be patient for that snowball, while it begins its journey down the mountain.

    as i stated in the past, 10 years from now that snowball will be smothering new ice sales.

    hey, snowball and ice.
     
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  22. fb_1001015277 avatar John Briggs Posted: 10/12/2011 12:35pm PDT

    I think I signed up for notifications too. I hope they ship the Focus EV to save me from having to consider driving the very ugly Nissan LEAF (which is otherwise a great car).
     
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  23. fb_100000195672415 avatar Mark Williams Posted: 10/12/2011 9:39am PDT

    I might consider this a big turn around from their crushing of EV-1s had they actually designed their EV from the ground up as was the case with the EV-1 instead of just converting an internal combustion engine version. Thus, the first pure EV offerings from GM, Ford, and Toyota are all conversions. Kudos to Nissan for having the chutzpah to design a ground up EV.
     
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  24. ev_enthusiast avatar EV Enthusiast Posted: 10/12/2011 4:43pm PDT

    we need evs on the road so we can get rid of all the problems caused by oil.

    it dont matter if they are conversions or not, as long as they run well.

    the snowball will probably accumulate mass more quickly with conversions, since no doubt the main reason for it is cost savings.
     
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  25. ev_enthusiast avatar EV Enthusiast Posted: 10/12/2011 9:22pm PDT

    consumers might want to think again if they are considering leasing from gm - LOL.
     
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  26. fb_1455434849 avatar Steven Roach Posted: 10/12/2011 4:44pm PDT

    well obviously gm kiled the ev1 a great revolutionary car in its time got almost 350 miles to the charge, wow this chevy spark only gets 100miles lol at best 150 i will not buy a gm car may be a leaf from nissan or model s from tesla
     
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  27. ev_enthusiast avatar EV Enthusiast Posted: 10/12/2011 5:39pm PDT

    the nice thing is that consumers are now starting to get a choice of which company they want to buy from.

    i knew gm would be forced to bite the bullet and start selling real evs if they wanted to stay in business.

    and this is true for toyota, and all the other companies who were reluctant to come out with one.

    soon it will be the only game in town.

    just look at all the battery improvements that are being worked on.

    as i said, 10 years from now who will want to buy a new ice ?
     
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  28. john_v avatar John Voelcker Posted: 10/12/2011 5:42pm PDT

    @Steven: The EV1 got nowhere near 350 miles per charge. With its original PbA batteries range was somewhere between 40 and 80 miles, and the later NiMH versions could do more than 100. While the EV1 may have had many virtues--that topic can be debated by enthusiasts for light-years--a range of 350 miles was definitely not one of them.
     
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  29. JP 2012 avatar J P Posted: 10/12/2011 10:02pm PDT

    Great new! The more EV's in production then th elower the price.
     
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  30. ev_enthusiast avatar EV Enthusiast Posted: 10/13/2011 8:26am PDT

    the snowball effect - the more they sell the cheaper. the cheaper they are, the more they sell.
     
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  31. fb_100000231346917 avatar Denny Rice Posted: 10/13/2011 11:06pm PDT

    GM is so stupid! Why would you spend the money to design and build a car and not SELL it NATIONWIDE! I tell you why, they want it to fail. The EV is not profitable enough for GM, it doesn't break down enough (like their combustion engine counterparts) there is no oil, no oil filters, no moving engine components, ect. Its all about dollars. GM will fail again.
     
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  32. edutainer avatar Dave Connell Posted: 10/14/2011 2:05am PDT

    Here we go again with another pregnant roller skate with low production numbers. If GM intended to go electric, they would look at TESLA's product trend and build electric plug-ins that are mid sized and therefore a practical build for business vehicles. Dave Connell, Past Chairman & Founder Manitoba Electric Vehicle Association [MEVA]
     
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  33. MrEnergyCzar avatar Mr EnergyCzar Posted: 10/15/2011 7:52am PDT

    I just got my Chevy Volt and attached my test drive video here...

    http://youtu.be/jbjtKbWZ67w

    MrEnergyCzar
     
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  34. robok2 avatar robok2 Posted: 10/17/2011 12:20pm PDT

    @Dave Connell...So, GM should look to Tesla for tips on product trends? Yeah, because a company which sold all of what, 1,300 vehicles at $100k + and still is losing money, that's who GM should learn from? Yes, the lowest priced Tesla will still come in at over $60k but that's who GM should learn from?
    I don't think I've ever heard anyone in the automotive industry claim that selling relatively low-volume EVs for $60k-$80k is a business model to be emulated. Good luck with that! GM's smart to hedge its bets for now. Develop, learn, later incorporate in higher voluems when costs can be brought down and fuel costs are higher than now.
     
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  35. fb_100002700995023 avatar fb_100002700995023 Posted: 11/18/2011 2:16am PST

    Chevrolet Beat diesel is the pioneer in this small car segment which comprises a huge part of Indian car market will surely get benefits.
    new cars in india
     
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  36. Mamtatandon30@yahoo.com avatar mamta tandon Posted: 2/22/2012 8:15pm PST

    Let me know more about Electric Spark.Is this one is only operateed by charged battery or has dual system.When are you going to launch in India.During auto exhibition,which I could not visit, you have shown some model of electric car. Please elaborate about launching of The car.
     
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