GM touts Spark EV as fun for urban driving -- not as regulatory check mark
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DETROIT -- General Motors is launching an electric version of its Chevrolet Spark minicar as a green, fun-to-drive option for urban dwellers -- not to "check a regulatory box," GM product chief Mary Barra insists.
Of course, the Spark electric vehicle will help GM meet stricter emissions standards, particularly in California. But GM has packaged the car with technology and pep that it hopes will set the Spark EV apart from rivals such as the Honda Fit, Mitsubishi i and forthcoming Fiat 500.
"The spark EV is a spirited, functional, fun-to-drive car that happens to be pure electric," Barra told reporters this month during a video conference.
The Spark EV will be unveiled this week at the Los Angeles auto show and launched this summer in California, Oregon, Canada and Korea. Other U.S. and foreign markets likely will follow.
GM has not yet disclosed the car's range but said it will be "among the best EV range" for small cars. Competitor vehicles typically can travel between 60 and 100 miles on a full charge.
The price will be "under $25,000 with tax incentives," GM said in a statement. Spark EV buyers will qualify for a $7,500 federal tax credit, which implies a sticker in the low $30,000s.
Core products
This month, Barra said EVs and plug-in hybrids are at the core of GM's strategy for alternative powertrains. That tack is different from Toyota Motor Corp., for example, which is a leader in hybrid vehicles, and Ford Motor Co., which is pursuing hybrids, EVs and plug-in hybrids such as the new C-Max Energi.
Chevy will market the Spark EV as a zippy urban commuter car for drivers who want to stay connected. 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, including TuneIn global Internet radio.
"When you engineer a technology filled, all-electric mini car that goes from zero-to-60 mph in less than eight seconds, customers won't miss the gas," Mark Reuss, president of GM North America, said in a statement.
New engineering
GM has invested considerable engineering resources to convert the Spark, its global minicar, to an electric drivetrain. A GM-built electric motor combined with a 560-pound lithium ion battery pack will deliver 130 hp and 400 pounds-feet of torque.
The front and rear fascia were lowered to improve the car's aerodynamics. The battery pack sits above the rear axle, where the gas tank sets in a conventional Spark, giving the EV a lower center of gravity. Engineers added a stronger torsion beam and stiffer springs to accommodate the extra mass, said Chuck Russell, chief engineer for the Spark EV.
Russell said GM will tout the car's quick acceleration as a differentiator.
"The torque never runs out. You have it at zero, at 20, at 40 mpg," Russell said. "We could have dialed back the performance. But we wanted to set this car up differently from other EVs on the market."
Starting early next year, the motor and drive unit will be built at GM's transmission plant in White Marsh, Md., near Baltimore. Making its own electric motors, rather than sourcing them, is a competitive advantage, GM engineering executives have said.
GM says the Spark will be the first EV to offer DC fast charging, which can charge the battery up to 80 percent of its capacity within 20 minutes. With a standard 120-volt outlet, fully charging a drained battery can take more than 15 hours.
A123 Systems Inc., the battery maker operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, will supply the battery pack, GM officials said. A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Monday gave Chinese supplier Wangxiang Group approval to provide $50 million in bankruptcy financing for A123, according The Associated Press. Bids for acquiring A123 are due in court on Dec. 4.
Infotainment offerings
Inside are two 7-inch LCD screens. The MyLink infotainment system sits in the center stack. The other is displayed in the gauge cluster and includes a "confidence gauge" that shows a minimum, maximum and average expected range that adjusts in real time based on driving conditions.
GM has partnered with a Korean company, Engis Technologies, to offer a $50 navigation app, BringGo, which displays maps and turn-by-turn directions on the touch screen in the instrument panel.
The MyLink system will be compatible with Siri, the voice-recognition system on the iPhone 4S and 5.
You can reach Mike Colias at mcolias@crain.com.
