General Motors said today that it will begin selling its 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV in the state of Maryland this spring, the first East Coast state in which the electric minicar will be available.

The Spark EV has a connection to the state: Both its 105-kilowatt (140-horsepower) electric motor and its drive unit are manufactured at a GM plant in White Marsh.

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2014 Chevrolet Spark EV - First Drive, Portland, July 2013

2014 Chevrolet Spark EV - First Drive, Portland, July 2013

The Spark EV for 2015 has a rated range of 82 miles and is powered by a 19-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack using cells from GM's longtime battery supplier LG Chem.

Chevrolet's director of car marketing, Steve Majoros, attributed the sales expansion to "customer demand," which he said "helped make the decision" to offer the Spark EV in Maryland.

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"We also have a strong dealership network in the Old Line State that’s eager to offer it," Majoros said.

And, he added, the state's large commuter population and a state commitment to providing charging infrastructure contributed to the decision as well.

2014 Chevrolet Spark EV - First Drive, Portland, July 2013

2014 Chevrolet Spark EV - First Drive, Portland, July 2013

Compared to the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car, which sold more than 20,000 units last year, the Spark EV remains a very low-volume entry.

Just 1,145 were sold last year in California and Oregon, the only two states in which GM has offered the car thus far.

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The Spark EV was the first car to offer DC fast charging via the Combined Charging System (CCS) protocol, a competitor to the far more prevalent CHAdeMO quick-charging standard used by the Nissan Leaf, the world's highest-selling electric car.

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