Sonic EV to cannibalize Spark EV?

[MrDRMorgan]

Lack of dealership support is a very valid concern . I honestly appreciate you bringing it up . Thank you .

I have been in the electrical field , one way or another since Hector was a pup .

I have dealt with 480 VAC for pretty much that whole time , again , off & on . I respect electricity , but treat is as other risked , to be managed . Not feared .

Two of the coolants for a Spark EV are DEX-COOL . Same as the engine coolant in our Chevy Sonic . Have not determined id DEX-COOL is used for the battery ?

Honestly the electronics and their software / firmware would worry me more . Difficult to shade tree that . :-(

Does any one know if the Bolt will be cheaper than the Volt . Will it be distributed in all 50 states ? Or just a few , like the Volt and Spark EV ?

As far as dealers , again , as long as the vehicle is in warranty , I look at it as , if the local dealer can not work on it , it is GM's problem to make whatever arrangements needed to get the work accomplished . I also realize , it may not work out that way , real world . At least , not the first try . But I would not hesitate to contact GM's corporate customer service / satisfaction department .

You are 100% correct , my location is not prime territory for EV's of any make or model . I am just exploring interesting ideas & products . Until I fully retire and loose the use of the company truck , we have no real need for a second vehicle . Gasoline or EV .

Thanks again ,

Wyr
God bless

How close is your local Chevrolet dealer? If the dealer is reasonably close, go pay the service manager a visit and see if they service Chevy Volts. If they do not sell and service Volts then you probably should forget about a Spark EV. But, if they do, ask about servicing a Spark EV too. Ask the service manager all of your questions regarding servicing the Spark EV. The Spark EV requires very little normal servicing. There are 3 DEX-COOL tanks in the front that support the 3 separate cooling loops in the car: the HV battery, the Traction Power Inverter Module and Accessory Power Module, and the Cabin Heating Coolant System.
Keep your eye on the used Spark EV market - I use www. cargurus.com - to see if you can find a nice used 2014 Spark EV that you could truck home. 2014 Spark EVs leased in late 2013 will soon be coming off of their leases and there may be some good bargains, especially if you do not need the DCFC option. If you wife can operate a vacuum cleaner then she will not have a problem connecting and disconnecting the car from the charger - mine doesn't mind at all. I just had to show her what to do.

 

[WyrTwister]

We have 2 Chevy dealers in town . If and when I get closer to deciding for a Spark EV , I may just try talking to the service managers .

I went by one of the dealers and looked at a new 2016 gasoline Spark LS with automatic transmission . " Sale " at $ 10,995 . I have a hunch it could be found somewhat cheaper , some where .

But , surprisingly , I was able to squeeze my old , fat body behind the wheel .

Time will tell .

That is a useful bit of info . I had read that 2 of the tanks contained Dex-cool . So , the 3rd one contains Dex-cool , also .

Thanks ,
Wyr
God bless

PS Still internet searching . Located a used 2015 Spark 1LT 25,669 miles for $ 4,995 . Gasoline ICE . That sounds tempting . Even at over 1,300 miles away .

 

[MrDRMorgan]

PS Still internet searching . Located a used 2015 Spark 1LT 25,669 miles for $ 4,995 . Gasoline ICE . That sounds tempting . Even at over 1,300 miles away .

We actually drove a new 2015 Spark 2LT and it was quite nice but underpowered for my liking. I didn't like the CV transmission. However, I have seen a number of Sparks on the freeways and they seem to be doing fine.

 

[Cheburashka]

Sorry, but I'd almost rather get a bus pass over a gasoline Daewoo Matiz/Chevy Spark... I doubt you can get a worse ICE car than that.

 

[WyrTwister]

Sorry, but I'd almost rather get a bus pass over a gasoline Daewoo Matiz/Chevy Spark... I doubt you can get a worse ICE car than that.

Why ? Under powered ? Or other reasons ?

We have a 2015 Sonic 1.8l automatic . I am OK with it . But I am an old man and drive like an old man . I baby the accelerator , and coast as much as I can . Trying to stretch gas mileage .

I do not expect neck snapping performance from these small cars . Or really want it .

The less you stress it , hopefully the longer it will last .

God bless
Wyr

 

[Cheburashka]

Its fuel efficient yes, but not really very practical, sporty, or comfy. If efficiency and price is the only thing you care about, it would be a decent fit.

I visit Europe often. One of the great things about America is that we can afford to drive cars that arent complete tin can trash, unlike in the EU.

 

[NORTON]

..... a gasoline Daewoo Matiz/Chevy Spark... I doubt you can get a worse ICE car than that.

Oh man,,, you are talking thrash about our cars, except for the awesome 37% American Muscle content. That's what makes these S-Boxes so much fun !

 

[WyrTwister]

Sporty , not much interested .

Practical , I think the Sonic is , Spark probably is also . Depends on your expectations . You can not expect the performance of a Vet .

Comfortable , fairly . But for the price , not bad . Again , you somewhat get what you pay for . And price is a deal breaker for me . Limited income , you know . Poor folks have poor ways .

If money was not an issue , I would have bought an Impala .

God bless
Wyr

 

[crossby]

Thanks for the info.
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[WyrTwister]

As for comfort , the Sonic is OK . And you have to consider my Wife and I are on the large size . And old with stiff joints and aches and pains getting in & getting out .

Comfort for younger / smaller people would be better . Ride is pretty good considering it is a small / economy car . Noise is better than expected . A lot is tire noise & largely depends on the road surface .

I suspect most of this also apples to the Spark ?

God bless
Wyr

 

[SparkE]

The Spark EV has been discontinued (2016 is the final model year, and most have already been sold).

The Spark ICE is still being sold, as is the Sonic (both have 2017 models).

What used to be called the 'Sonic EV' has become the Bolt: a BEV-only vehicle. There is NO 'Sonic EV' anymore.

 

[WyrTwister]

I may seriously consider a Bolt , if they turn out to be sound , reliable cars . But it will be a few years , ehen they start coming on to the used car market . If the used ones are in the price neighborhood as used Leafs are now .

Either that or GM will have to get very aggressive with the leasing .

Help me out here . The Bolt is a physically larger car than the Spark EV ?

God bless
Wyr

 

[SparkE]

All the known info can be found here : http://www.chevrolet.com/bolt-ev-electric-vehicle.html

 

[EldRitch]

The Bolt is a physically larger car than the Spark EV ?

Yes - the Bolt is about 18" longer and 5" wider than the Spark EV.

 

[SparkE]

There is a Bolt forum here : http://www.mychevybolt.com/forum/