New Owner - ordered the "essentials"

[EldRitch]

Just bought a new (Red) Spark EV Sunday - really enjoying the car - it's a hoot to drive, despite its handling and traction challenges. I passed a gas station yesterday, and it just felt good. And BTW, thank all of you and all your friends for your contribution to making it very affordable via the EV tax subsidy.

So to indulge the car, I've ordered some things to sweeten it up - upgrades I put in every car I buy:

- A CG Lock - http://www.cg-lock.com IMHO, this is the best single thing you can do for the handling of any car. With this, you pull the seatbelt snug, and the lap part stays snug, holding you solidly attached to the car during cornering and braking, and making good car control much easier as a result - no more bracing yourself against the door and steering wheel just to stay in your seat.

- Lloyds' Luxe mats - http://lloydmats.com/mat-materials/luxe-floor-mats-premium-luxurious-custom-fit-automobile-floor-mats/ These are the thickest, most sound-absorbent and luxurious carpet mats you can buy. Not inexpensive, but they give the car a great upgraded feel, particularly compared to the OEM rubber/mouse-fur mats.

- Tires - after lots of reading here, I ordered a set of Dunlop Direzza DZ102 summer tires to replace the OEM rubber - Chevy's priorities for this car are not the same as mine. I went +1 on the width: 195x50x15 Front, 205x50x15 Rear, which will lower the car a few mm. These should improve all aspects of handling considerably, and the DZ102 are rated by Tire Rack customers and tested as the quietest of their category.

BTW, to find anything for the 2016 EV at TR or at Lloyd's Mats, you have to specify the car as a 2015 Spark.

So, now to get the BMW on the market...

 

[greenspark]

- Lloyds' Luxe mats - http://lloydmats.com/mat-materials/luxe ... loor-mats/ These are the thickest, most sound-absorbent and luxurious carpet mats you can buy. Not inexpensive, but they give the car a great upgraded feel, particularly compared to the OEM rubber/mouse-fur mats.
[...]
BTW, to find anything for the 2016 EV at TR or at Lloyd's Mats, you have to specify the car as a 2015 non-EV Spark.

You may need to modify the driver floor mat. The driver floor on the ICE Spark is not the same as the EV Spark. See this thread: http://www.mychevysparkev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=3678

 

[EldRitch]

The driver floor on the ICE Spark is not the same as the EV Spark.

Thanks for the heads-up, but it shouldn't be a problem - I just checked my order, and I did order the four-mat set for a 2015 EV, which should fit the 2016s.

 

[NORTON]

I keep a 25 ft. 12 ga. extension cord, a circuit tester, a stretchy tow rope (regen charging !), a tire plugger kit, flashlight and a small first aid kit , all rolled up into a small plastic tote bag and crammed under the passenger seat.

 

[EldRitch]

With you on the flashlight - I keep a six-C-cell Maglight in back of the drivers seat for various types of emergencies.

 

[NORTON]

Only my flashlight is a quality head lamp, not a serious head knocker.

 

[Sross222]

How did those Dunlop Direzza DZ102 tires work out? Did they help with handling and keeping the car more controlled in acceleration? Also, how much did they impact the total range?

I just leased a Spark EV and thinking about swapping out tires. I like to hit the accelerator hard but all the wiggling around is disconcerting. (previously had a Fiat 500e which had better steering tracking with stock tires). But not sure I'd want to give up more than say 5% of range.

 

[EldRitch]

You may need to modify the driver floor mat. The driver floor on the ICE Spark is not the same as the EV Spark. See this thread: http://www.mychevysparkev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=3678

Ordering for Spark EV 2015 got perfectly-fitted Lloyds mats - very luxurious.

How did those Dunlop Direzza DZ102 tires work out? Did they help with handling and keeping the car more controlled in acceleration? Also, how much did they impact the total range?

The DZ102 transform the car. I'm using 37lbs. cold pressure (tires started feeling a little bouncy at 39), and they are quiet on smooth pavement, albeit as noisy as any performance tire on Oregon's no-topcoat roads.
Zero slip on acceleration unless you are turning or hit a tar-strip. The car is more stable at 60+ speeds, and has far more cornering grip. Also, it turns out that the "torque-steer" for which the car is known, is actually Limited-Slip Diff. steer: with the OEM tires, there is a constant battle for traction between the tires and the overly-enthusiastic Traction Control, which often affects one wheel more than the other and tugs at the wheel.
As to range, I'm not a great indicator: I live at the top of a 900 ft. hill, so whenever I leave the house with a full battery I'm wasting potential regen. Also, I enjoy driving like what my Mother once called "an insane taxi driver" on our local hilly twisties. That said, when driving more like most people, i.e. gently, I have no difficulty hitting 82 on the Guessometer after a charge, but most often the number is more like 74.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info for a New EV
เที่ยวญี่ปุ่น

 

[StevesWeb]

I live at the top of a 900 ft. hill, so whenever I leave the house with a full battery I'm wasting potential regen. Also, I enjoy driving like what my Mother once called "an insane taxi driver" on our local hilly twisties. That said, when driving more like most people, i.e. gently, I have no difficulty hitting 82 on the Guessometer after a charge, but most often the number is more like 74.

We are also on top of a steep hill. It's an eighth of a mile from our mailbox to our house. When I drive 1 mile to a supermarket that trip back up the hill kills my efficiency.

For tires I went with Continental ContiProContact in front, and my typical GOM full charge reading is 74 these days too.

 

[EldRitch]

Update on the tires: with guidance from Leafless, I've replaced the wheels with inexpensive Rota Slipstreams. With a 5mm spacer in front, these allow you to use 205x50 all around, so I've moved my 205x50 tires to the front, and put the 195x50 on the back.
The car rides a lot better with these 6-pounds-lighter wheels.