Chevrolet Spark EV rated Most Efficient Car in US at 119 MPGe with 82 mile range

Just days before the First Annual EV Road Rally to be  held here in Connecticut by the Westport Electric Car Club, Chevrolet has announced new details on the upcoming 2014 Chevy Spark EV.  General Motors says its Chevrolet Spark EV will get the equivalent of 119 mpg in combined city and highway driving, the best efficiency of any U.S. car sold to retail buyers.

The 2014 Spark EV, which will begin retail sales this summer in California and Oregon, will have an EPA rated range of 82 miles when fully charged, GM said in a statement.

While General Motors has not made a formal announcement about national distribution plans, Karl Chevrolet in New Canaan, CT, expects to see the Spark EV either late this year or early in 2014.  For several years auto manufacturers have been touting the coming wave of Electric Vehicles to the US market, as electric motor and battery technology have advanced to being viable for many consumer’s daily driving needs.  Other EVs sold or slated for introduction in the United States include the Nissan Leaf, Fiat 500e, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Scion iQ EV, Honda Fit EV and the Focus Electric.

The EPA created the mpg equivalency rating to help consumers compare the efficiency of gasoline-powered and electric vehicles.  The Fiat 500e, which Chrysler plans to launch in the next sixty days in California, has a slightly longer range than the Spark EV, at 87 miles. The Nissan Leaf, currently the top-selling pure EV, has a 73-mile range.

In addition to the Chevrolet Spark EV, Chevrolet becomes the first full-line auto manufacturer to offer multiple electric models.  The Spark EV joins the Chevy Volt, the world’s first Extended Range Electric Vehicle and currently the best selling electric drive motor vehicle in the US.  Unlike the pure EV models listed here, which use only the energy stored in the vehicle’s battery to drive the car, the Volt relies on both on-board lithium-ion batteries plus a gasoline powered generator motor capable of producing electricity to run the electric drive motors when longer driving distances are required.

Chevrolet has said the Spark EV will be priced less than $25,000 with tax incentives. Spark EV buyers will qualify for a $7,500 federal tax credit, which indicates a retail price of around $32,000.  GM also is launching Spark EV in Canada, South Korea and Europe.

GM says the Spark EV will be the first with an optional combination charger to handle DC Fast Charging, a soon-to-be-introduced technology that can recharge as much as 80 percent of the car’s battery capacity in 20 minutes.  This compatability with DC Fast Charging is good news for Connecticut drivers as several Fast Charging stations are planned in the state.

A full charge using a 240-volt charging station takes seven hours. Charging the car with the standard 120-volt outlet takes about twice as long.  Chevrolet will market the Spark EV as a zippy urban commuter car. It will cover 0 to 60 mph in less than 8 seconds and include as standard a Chevy MyLink infotainment system with several smartphone-based applications.

GM says the Spark EV can save as much as $9,000 in operating costs over five years vs. an average gasoline-powered vehicle.

The car is powered by a GM-built electric motor combined with a 560-pound lithium ion battery pack. It will deliver 130 hp and 400 pounds-feet of torque.  Pam Fletcher, GM executive chief engineer for electrified vehicles, said in a statement: “We’re poised to deliver to the market an EV that’s not just efficient, but also thrilling to drive thanks to the 400 lb.-ft. torque output of its electric motor.”