Chevy Spark EV rated at 119 mpg with 82-mile range

[DainBramaged]

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 be launched this summer in California and Oregon, will have an EPA-rated range of 82 miles when fully charged, GM said in a statement.

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 Scion iQ EV is EPA rated at the equivalent of 121 mpg but is used only in car-sharing demonstration programs and not sold at retailers, a Scion spokesman said. The EPA created the mpg equivalency rating to help consumers compare the efficiency of gasoline-powered and electric vehicles


http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130424/OEM05/130429952/chevy-spark-ev-rated-at-119-mpg-with-82-mile-range#axzz2RP99c4eW

GM 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 signals a sticker in the low $30,000s.


Light weight = longer range

[IDemo]

1. MPGe - Miles-per-gallon-equivalent explained

for those who will doubtlessly complain about the measurement.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/how-an-electric-car-gets-99-miles-per-gallon-mpge-ratings-explained/

[upaloopa]

2. I think we need better measure of cost and efficiency

for cars.
You need to take into consideration the number of miles you drive the price of gas or charging what ever is needed and the cost of buying and maintaining the car plus insurance. Add up all the costs and divide by the miles to get your cost per mile.

[DainBramaged]

3. The government does that for you

http://www.irs.gov/uac/2013-Standard-Mileage-Rates-Up-1-Cent-per-Mile-for-Business,-Medical-and-Moving


Beginning on Jan. 1, 2013, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:

•56.5 cents per mile for business miles driven.
•24 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes.
•14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations

[frazzled]

4. Still a tough sell

At least if I take our own little needs into account. We are a couple who owns one car (a seven-year-old Prius). We live in a dense urban area, so we don't use a car to commute to work, and take it out only once or twice a week for errands that are generally not more than a few miles away. So far, so good: the Spark would fit our needs (if we had an electrical outlet with which to charge it in our condo parking spot).

But those of us who only have one car also need to take it on rides that are longer than 82 miles. For us that would be longer errands to a distant suburb (more than 82 miles round trip); going to visit family or friends by car in another state; going on the rare vacation by car. Heck, even driving up for the day to Milwaukee from Chicago to see an art exhibit; or driving to canvass next door in Michigan for an election would be impossible.

So for people who only want to own a single vehicle, this is simply not a long enough range. For the same price, I'd get another Prius (though I don't plan to need one for another 7 years).

[bike man]

5. And, according to this article, it isn't all made in the US

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/24/3362037/gm-says-chevy-spark-ev-can-go.html

<snip>The motor and other driveline parts for the Spark EV are made in Baltimore, but the car is assembled in South Korea along with the gasoline version.

[DainBramaged]

6. That was a PERFECT description of most folks needs in a car

I drive 30mi round trip 6 days a week. We HAVE a charging station set up here and employees are not charged for charging (LOL). It would suit me perfectly, except I have to drive a highway to get to work, so that isn't an option for me. Give me my super tuned SS Cobalt and I'm good. Or a ZL1 Camaro.....