A friend was in the market for a new car for a daily commute and I was trying to convince him that a spark would be perfect for him-- the savings in gas would probably pay for the lease-- but he was concerned about range.
It got me thinking about how I would describe the range of spark to someone who's not buying it as an EV but as a cheap commuting car (i.e., probably ok with preheating the car but not with riding around with a blanket). We're in MD so we get a week or two every winter with temps in in the low teens and below, and a couple weeks in the summer with temps in the upper 90s. Also, his commute (like a lot of people's) involves some highway driving-- although not always at highway speeds of course.
Based on experience with my fairly new car, I would think that between climate and highway driving, 40 miles is a reasonable estimate of worst case range (so unless my friend can find a charger at work, he shouldn't buy it unless he's within 20 miles of his work).
In the end I think due to gas prices being low or the new technology being a negative for him instead of an advantage, I don't think my friend is going to get a spark. But I am curious what others would tell their friends is a reliable commuting zone for the spark.
It got me thinking about how I would describe the range of spark to someone who's not buying it as an EV but as a cheap commuting car (i.e., probably ok with preheating the car but not with riding around with a blanket). We're in MD so we get a week or two every winter with temps in in the low teens and below, and a couple weeks in the summer with temps in the upper 90s. Also, his commute (like a lot of people's) involves some highway driving-- although not always at highway speeds of course.
Based on experience with my fairly new car, I would think that between climate and highway driving, 40 miles is a reasonable estimate of worst case range (so unless my friend can find a charger at work, he shouldn't buy it unless he's within 20 miles of his work).
In the end I think due to gas prices being low or the new technology being a negative for him instead of an advantage, I don't think my friend is going to get a spark. But I am curious what others would tell their friends is a reliable commuting zone for the spark.