http://www.examiner.com/article/a-review-of-the-chevrolet-spark-electric A review of the Chevrolet Spark electric March 4, 2014 by Chris Frank
[image http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/01/7e/017e941b3fe4fbbbbab3de1e84710387.jpg Spark EV ] Today I am going to review an amazing car from Chevrolet. This compact car is ideal for the dense urban environment of Europe or Japan and it is ideal for a mid-sized family. This car is here not only to help you in the crowded streets but also to clean up those smoggy streets. Put aside any kind of preconceptions that you might have about electric cars as the Chevy Spark EV is affordable, fast, fun to drive and while it may be small it’s quite easy to manage. The Spark EV can fit in any kind of parking spaces, carry four people, cover the 0 to 60 miles/hour in a respectable 7.5 seconds and travel at speeds up to 90 miles per hour. With an initial target market of California and Oregon, General Motors chose the streets of Portland to showcase the 2014 Spark EV’s urban pride at a media event. The car is quite cool to drive in the stop and go city traffic, power peaks at approximately 30 miles per hour and the curve is flat from that point. The electric motor was designed to deliver power at low RPM’s and the drive ratio is 3.57 to 1. You will save a lot of money while driving it inside a crowded city and live without fear about parking it on the crowded street. This little car was built to go to battle, not to be put on a pedestal. While the Spark EV weighs in at just 3000 pounds, approximately 700 or so extra than a conventional powered, the ride and handling benefit a lot from the reduced weight. Weight balance is close to even and the center gravity is low thanks to the location of that big and heavy battery pack. The design team at Chevrolet has done an excellent job at packaging. The 21 Kw/h battery pack is designed to deliver 82 miles of range and it is positioned underneath the rear seat and rear deck. There is minimal intrusion into the spaces, a full recharge at a Chevy Volt charging station should take under 7 hours. Aerodynamics have been improved when compared to the classic Spark. The upper grill is smooth and the lower grill has been fitted with shutters, the lower side moldings and underbody parts are sleek at the belly. Although the Spark EV is made in South Korea, the GM designed propulsion system is built in Baltimore, Maryland and the battery pack is built in Michigan. A team of engineers located in both Korea and Michigan have worked around the clock to design the car. With a price that is a fraction of the Tesla Model S, the Spark EV has many times more potential customers. Basically, the Model S is a toy of the wealthy while the Spark EV is clearly built for the masses. When it comes to the direct competition, the Spark EV holds a significant performance edge over the Nissan Leaf, Fiat 500 E, Honda Fit EV and Ford Focus electric. [© 2014 Clarity Digital Group] For all EVLN posts use: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/template/NamlServlet.jtp?macro=search_page&node=413529&query=evln&sort=date Here are today's archive-only EV posts: EVLN: It’s time for businesses to wake up to the benefits of EVs EVLN: Make solar an important part of an EV's diet EVLN: Lit Motors' 2Wheel EV Finds Funding From Pincus & Slater EVLN: NM Sierra Club not giving up on an EV tax credit EVLN: Tesla Slashes Model S Prices in Europe, Report + EVLN: Dad Built An Electric Batpod Motorcycle For His Kids {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Spark-EV-a-fraction-of-the-price-of-a-Tesla-S-review-tp4668380.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
