Chevrolet Spark EV Undergoing Testing in California
Equipped with new batteries, GM’s first electric car in America is already being tested in Torrance, California. Six Chevy Spark EVs are being tested by a group of engineers as the American automaker prepares it for its 2013 debut.
The engineers are adding roughly 62 miles per day on the Spark EVs, putting it through its paces in testing, and said that it is about 65-percent through the engineering phase though there is some bugs that still need to be worked out.
Not many details are available on the Spark EV model, but it’ll be facing quite a bit of competition once it hits the market in 2013, even if it’s only sold in the state of California. GM may be using the Spark EV as a test bed for future models, anticipating to sell only 2,000 units a year initially.
The Nissan Leaf has become the EV of choice, especially in California, while the Mitsubishi i-MiEV is slowly gaining ground on the market. Ford also has its Focus Electric that may be the Spark EVs’ main competitor. Chances are the Spark EV could become the most affordable of all the EVs, but hopefully the engineers are working to top the 62-mile range currently being tested.
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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I hope they make multiple battery sizes available to consumers can choose how large of a battery they need. A cheap short-range EV could be a godsend to people dealing with daily commutes and $5+/gallon gasoline as we will eventually be seeing.