2016 Chevy Spark EV?

[MrDRMorgan]

Does anyone have the latest info on the status of a 2016 Chevy Spark EV? I found the following in a recent article about the 2016 Chevy Spark in Green Car Reports: "The Spark EV? It's off the radar for the 2016 model year, as Chevy gears up for its all-new Bolt electric car coming in about a year." I am not sure if this means Chevy will just use the 2015 vehicle for 2016 as well or drop it all together.

 

[WadeTyhon]

I haven't heard much either. From what I read earlier in the year, the '2016' spark will just be a 2015 spark with no noticeable changes. I assume by "off the radar" the article means that Chevy is not really talking about it or pushing sales because there is nothing to discuss. Not that they talked much about the 2015 model very much either, but still. :lol:

Chevy's site still lists a 2016:
http://media.chevrolet.com/media/us/en/chevrolet/vehicles/spark-ev/2016.html

If that has changed and they are not even going to offer a '2016', then they'll probably just sell off any remaining 2015 inventory if they have it.

 

[SparkevBlogspot]

There's none for 200 miles where I live. There were two 2015 a week ago, but disappeared the next day. Also, $139/mo lease seem to have expired recently; it was there in the beginning of Oct. Chevy web site shows 2016 to be pretty much the same as 2015.

http://www.chevrolet.com/spark-ev-electric-vehicle.html

 

[mczajka]

I thought someone said it would get the Google/Apple integration, which would be nice. Nothing about it listed here though:
http://media.chevrolet.com/media/us/en/chevrolet/vehicles/spark-ev/2016.html

As I drive my Spark EV more and more, all I can say is if the Bolt is as fun to drive, with more refinement, and quietness of the Volt (for example), they're going to have a winner on their hands. We shall see.

 

[Casualsurfer]

I thought someone said it would get the Google/Apple integration, which would be nice. Nothing about it listed here though:
http://media.chevrolet.com/media/us/en/chevrolet/vehicles/spark-ev/2016.html

As I drive my Spark EV more and more, all I can say is if the Bolt is as fun to drive, with more refinement, and quietness of the Volt (for example), they're going to have a winner on their hands. We shall see.

I agree, but hopefully the torque steer can be minimized while retaining the high power output.

Mark, I hope to see you on the road one of these days!

 

[nikwax]

My recollection of a previous discussion is the 2016 will be identical to the 2015 with no Apple Car Play.

 

[lalacurf121]

but hopefully the torque steer can be minimized while retaining the high power output.
virtual sport

 

[xylhim]

but hopefully the torque steer can be minimized while retaining the high power output.
virtual sport

Yeah, maybe if they made it a real wheel drive.

 

[colordosparkev]

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101705_first-drive-chevy-bolt-ev-200-mile-electric-car-development-vehicle?fbfanpage

when i saw this today, i first thought it looked like a next gen Spark! is it just a bit bigger, with 2x the range, and faster acceleration?

 

[nikwax]

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101705_first-drive-chevy-bolt-ev-200-mile-electric-car-development-vehicle?fbfanpage

when i saw this today, i first thought it looked like a next gen Spark! is it just a bit bigger, with 2x the range, and faster acceleration?

quite a bit bigger, about the same acceleration, 200+ mile range, some very interesting technology.

 

[MrDRMorgan]

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101705_first-drive-chevy-bolt-ev-200-mile-electric-car-development-vehicle?fbfanpage

when i saw this today, i first thought it looked like a next gen Spark! is it just a bit bigger, with 2x the range, and faster acceleration?

quite a bit bigger, about the same acceleration, 200+ mile range, some very interesting technology.

Did you catch the 60 minutes required to quick charge to 80%? It could approach 2 hours if you try to get a full DCFC charge. I believe most charging will be done at home and at night using a 6.6 kWh L2 EVSE. Per Chevy, it takes up to 9 up hours for a full charge at home.

 

[nikwax]

No doubt why VW is floating the idea of 800 volt DCFC


More specifically, updating the SAE spec to include 800 volt DCFC.

 

[Davedly]

Oh jeeze, this is worrisome: the most recent post was last October.

I was so glad to see the Spark EV anywhere on the right coast when it was announced to be available in Baltimore. I live in NY and I'd certainly drive to MD to buy one.

Last summer searching out prices at a dealership in Ellicot, they even had some low mileage used ones! For about $15k - $17k! I googled directions to Ellicott.

Then did a budget and realized I needed to pay off a few debts first so that around Mar of 2016 I could afford a loan for under $20k.

Today I went to the chevy dealer finder to find 14 of them around the 21201 area. I searched all 14 of them and only found 1 new Spark EV (no used ones) out of all 14 dealers!

Does anyone know why? It seemed like such a sleeper, but maybe suddenly people realized what a bargain it is.

 

[nikwax]

They make Spark EVs in batches, and in low numbers. I waited over three months for mine, and when the Sparks hit town there was a flurry of activity until they were all sold. Word has gotten out as to what a great little car this is (Car & Driver still has it rated #1 non-Tesla EV).

 

[MrDRMorgan]

They make Spark EVs in batches, and in low numbers. I waited over three months for mine, and when the Sparks hit town there was a flurry of activity until they were all sold. Word has gotten out as to what a great little car this is (Car & Driver still has it rated #1 non-Tesla EV).

Great little car it is, and they are hard to find. I wonder if GM really knows this.

 

[ReddyKilowatt]

I bought the last one my local dealer had at the end of August - then they had none at all until this month, when they got 16 more in. Now they have 6 left, I think (including the lime green, salsa red which I would have taken over the silver one I have in a heartbeat!)

 

[MrDRMorgan]

I bought the last one my local dealer had at the end of August - then they had none at all until this month, when they got 16 more in. Now they have 6 left, I think (including the lime green, salsa red which I would have taken over the silver one I have in a heartbeat!)

Going, going, going - GONE! As soon as word gets out that a dealer has some for lease or sale and, with the great GM lease offer, this car flies out the dealership's door. The word is out - This is a VERY FUN car to drive!

 

[ReddyKilowatt]

And I live in a semi-isolated part of Oregon (well, as isolated as you can get with I5 going smack through the middle), about 200,000 total population in the entire area. Sparks sell well here. Or at least lease well. I notice they have $139 and $149 a month lease signs on them on the lot. The dealer also still has only their 2015 Volts because the 2016s they got all had preorders.

 

[SparkevBlogspot]

Great little car it is, and they are hard to find. I wonder if GM really knows this.

I suspect GM knows. They created a little monster! But I think they're limiting SparkEV on purpose to save federal tax credit for Bolt. Between Volt, ELR, SparkEV, they've used up over 100,000 tax credits, and the limit is 200,000. If SparkEV becomes too popular, it could eat up all remaining tax credit even before the first Bolt rolls off the assembly line, making Bolt $7500 more than the competition. More details of my guesses in my blog here.

http://sparkev.blogspot.com/2015/11/sparkev-you-are-not-compliance-car.html

Because of this, it is very possible that SparkEV will be canceled when Bolt comes out. But if there's change in tax, it is possible for them to continue SparkEV, though I doubt that'll happen. Then the situation could be like EV1; people will clamor for more SparkEV, GM refuse to make more.

Of course, these are all just guesses, but saving tax credit is the most logical explanation for Chevy's lack of interest in selling more SparkEV. Demand is certainly there judging from sold out dealer lots.

 

[ReddyKilowatt]

According to
http://insideevs.com/monthly-plug-in-sales-scorecard/

Chevrolet sold 2,629 Sparks in 2015.

According to
http://us7.campaign-archive1.com/?u=994a4a1538d32dfd7a36903ab&id=09dd3af3c5&e=78867c2845

There were 5,163 PEV cars sold in California in 2015.

Since the Spark is only sold in California, Oregon and Maryland (and anywhere someone is brave enough to buy one and ship it in to), you can bet the bulk of the Sparks sold were sold in California.

The Spark might have a higher adoption rate in Oregon than other states because in 2015 there was no state rebate for the purchase of a PEV (only a small rebate for purchase of an EVSE) nor is there an HOV sticker available and the lower price of the Spark, compared to other PEVs, might have tipped it a bit.

This for a car with virtually no advertising or roll-out drama and supply-caused shortages. Not bad, eh?

Anecdotally, in 2015 here in Oregon the dealers repeatedly sold out of cars and then had to wait until they got their next shipment, indicating that popularity is not the problem, supply is. I took my Spark to an EV show with a dealer brochure and they said they had 7 people - in a town of less than 20,000, green and crunchy though Ashland is - show up at the dealership asking about test drives. That was in September, by that point they were sold out and only got another shipment in in January.

I think the Spark was both a compliance car and a test run for PEVs, we will see what lessons they learned when the do the US rollout of the Bolt.