The Spark Saga (final)

[jef]

Chevy has thoroughly shattered the confidence I once had in their brand. With only 53,000 km (33,000 mi) on the odometer, my 2015 Chevy Spark EV displayed the warning "Propulsion Power Reduced". The car allowed me to pull over to the shoulder of the freeway, and I had to get it towed to a dealership.

After four days of silence from the dealership, I called them to be informed that the high-voltage (HV) battery needed to be replaced, and that it would cost $27,500 CAD.

Absolutely gobsmacked, I had the car towed to an EV repair shop. They found that one of the 32 cells in one of the six modules wasn’t holding a charge and initially suggested they could replace the module. They also mentioned the other modules were at 80% capacity, meaning the pack wouldn’t charge beyond that. This sounded reasonable until I got another call informing me that their supplier couldn’t sell individual modules, only the entire HV battery pack. To their credit, they quoted me $21,000 CAD for the replacement.

I then had the car towed to my home and ended up purchasing a 2023 Mazda MX-30 EV for $25,500 CAD.

Despite all this, I really liked the Spark. It did everything I needed, and over the 5 1/2 years I owned it, I only had to replace the 12V battery and two sets of windshield wipers. It was truly a great little car.

If anyone in the Metro Vancouver area is interested in the Spark, let me know. Otherwise, I’ll donate it to a technical school. If they’re not interested, a scrap yard has offered me between $500 CAD and $1,500 CAD.

I still strongly believe in the future of EVs. It’s frustrating that the Spark ended this way.

 

[SmokeyPete]

I'm so sorry. It looks like my 2015. Thanks for sharing.

 

[TomK]

That sucks. Real bummer.

Did you notice any indication of the battery performance decreasing over the last few weeks leading up to this? I keep an eye on my min/max cell voltages but not sure if that is enough.

This was the one hesitation that i had of purchasing mine about two months ago now. This was used 2015 with 57k miles on it with about 15kWh battery capacity left on it. So far I'm a huge fan but the potential for the battery going out is for sure in the back of my mind.

One thing that really blows my mind is how nobody seems to be responsible for these once the warranty expired. I realized what this car meant for Chevy but their end of life support seems rather lack to say the least. They should at least make it possible to allow individual shops to repair/replace individual cells of the battery pack. Or at least just a module rather then the entire battery pack. Maybe its an issue with balancing the cells but still, charging 27k for a new battery is rather ridiculous, i can see 5-10k maybe as that would be in the realm of reasonable and if the car had no other issues that might still make sense. But handing you a 27k bill is basically handing you a death sentence for the vehicle.

 

[jef]

I'm so sorry. It looks like my 2015. Thanks for sharing.

I really liked this car and would have driven it until my last day. I hope there will be a major shift in the refurbished battery industry. Now seems like the perfect time to start such a business. If only I were younger, I wouldn't hesitate.

 

[jef]

That sucks. Real bummer.

Did you notice any indication of the battery performance decreasing over the last few weeks leading up to this? I keep an eye on my min/max cell voltages but not sure if that is enough.

This was the one hesitation that i had of purchasing mine about two months ago now. This was used 2015 with 57k miles on it with about 15kWh battery capacity left on it. So far I'm a huge fan but the potential for the battery going out is for sure in the back of my mind.

One thing that really blows my mind is how nobody seems to be responsible for these once the warranty expired. I realized what this car meant for Chevy but their end of life support seems rather lack to say the least. They should at least make it possible to allow individual shops to repair/replace individual cells of the battery pack. Or at least just a module rather then the entire battery pack. Maybe its an issue with balancing the cells but still, charging 27k for a new battery is rather ridiculous, i can see 5-10k maybe as that would be in the realm of reasonable and if the car had no other issues that might still make sense. But handing you a 27k bill is basically handing you a death sentence for the vehicle.

I didn't notice any difference. I could tell there was some degradation, but that’s expected with an almost ten-year-old battery. It still runs, and I could probably keep it going longer with a dongle, but I need a vehicle I can rely on, especially since I’m taking care of my 92-year-old mother.

Yes, end-of-life support is definitely a challenge. However, the car still has plenty of life in it. I would have gladly paid to replace a module if it had been in the $2,000 to $3,000 range. Initially, I thought the quote for the battery replacement was $24,500, but that was just for the battery itself. They wanted an additional $3,000 for installation.

 

[jef]

Me parking at the dealership.

 

[Randy960]

I'm pretty disappointed in the way that battery repair supplies dried up at the same time as the last of the Sparks ran out of their warranty. I can still only find one supplier rebuilding whole packs, and absolutely no sources for individual modules.

 

[John Hansen]

I gather this info is coming too late, but Greentec Auto advertises a Spark replacement battery for $12,500 - no giveaway, but a lot cheaper than you were being quoted.

 

[jef]

I gather this info is coming too late, but Greentec Auto advertises a Spark replacement battery for $12,500 - no giveaway, but a lot cheaper than you were being quoted.

At first, I thought this was the right direction. However, given the current cost of lithium-ion batteries, it’s still too expensive. $12,500 USD equals approximately $17,300 CAD, and the EV repair shop charges about $2,000 CAD to install the battery pack. With taxes and shop fees, the total comes to around $21,000 CAD (about $15,176 USD). However, the repair shop told me that they no longer use GreenTec batteries. When I asked why, they said, “The batteries are unreliable. I think they sit on the shelf too long.” Granted, this is GreenTec Canada—things may be different in the US.

 

[2014 EV in Vegas]

Sad day. I'm still driving my 2014 Spark to and from work. I don't think it will ever die mechanically. The big ticking bomb is the battery. I know one day it will die and I'm regretting the day it does. I bought mine when it had 9,500 miles on it (paid $9,500 USD). It now has just shy of 90,000 miles on it. One set of tires, two 12V batteries, windshield wipers, and wiper fluid refill. That's been it.
Lack of support from GM doesn't surprise me. The Spark EV was never intended to be a full scale launch in the US. If I recall correctly, it was only sold in a few select states. I believe it was a testing ground of sorts for the next gen EV. I heard once they were sold in Korea. It may be a stretch, but outsource a battery from overseas?

 

[John Hansen]

At first, I thought this was the right direction. However, given the current cost of lithium-ion batteries, it’s still too expensive. $12,500 USD equals approximately $17,300 CAD, and the EV repair shop charges about $2,000 CAD to install the battery pack. With taxes and shop fees, the total comes to around $21,000 CAD (about $15,176 USD). However, the repair shop told me that they no longer use GreenTec batteries. When I asked why, they said, “The batteries are unreliable. I think they sit on the shelf too long.” Granted, this is GreenTec Canada—things may be different in the US.

I see your point. I have not used Greentec Auto, myself, so I would have to defer to the advice of your mechanic. It is a shame that GM is abandoning all the current Spark owners. I ended up buying a Bolt and got one that had just had both batteries replaced with a new 8/100,000 warranty on the HV battery.