The 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV, available only in California and Oregon at the moment, is also the only GM vehicle that’s compatible with new DC fast-charging stations. Of which, the first one has become publicly available at the Fashion Valley Mall in San Francisco, California.
The charging station at the mall can charge a flat battery to an 80 percent charge in just 20 minutes. With the advertised range of the Spark EV being 82 miles (130 km), that would mean an 80 percent charge would replenish the car enough to run nearly 65 miles. The SAE International Fast Charge Station uses a combined AC and DC charging connector, allowing electricity to flow more freely and at a faster rate.
“The launch of these new charge stations will help improve the convenience and adoption of electric vehicles because they dramatically reduce the charge time,” said Pamela Fletcher, executive chief engineer of electrified vehicles at General Motors. “The SAE Combo DC fast charge stations are the result of EV industry collaboration to help customers benefit from available public infrastructure.”
The Spark EV will be the first EV in the U.S. to offer the SAE International fast-charge connector as an option starting in late December. Major automakers including Porsche, Audi, BMW, Ford, Chrysler and Volkswagen have also announced they will adopt the SAE fast charge connector. Previously, automakers used a 120V/240V AC connector standard to ensure all vehicles could access charging points, no matter the make or model.
Comments
Man that Spark is one UGLY car!
1 down and 100 million to go.
You have to start some where.
As for the Spark to be fair it is not easy to be that small and look good and still carry any kind of payload.
Never heard of the Nissan Juke, have you?
Also, the reply function doesn’t seem to work properly.
I have to agree with ya there Grawdaddy. That Juke joke is way uglier than the Spark. I think the Spark is kind of cute in its own little way, especially in some of the more “out there” colors it’s offered in.
My buddy just bought a Joke I mean Juke. He wanted me to put a rear roof spoiler on it.
I agreed as it gave me a chance to hit it with a hammer when I had to center punch the spots to drill. It made me feel better but it did not improve the looks.
There is a lot of ugly cars out there many worse than the Spark.
The problem is when you have a two box style and you make it micro sized but still can carry 4 people there is little you can do to make it all work in a stylish package and still get a 5 star rating.
This is going to one of the biggest challenges of the future smaller cars.
wondering what they cost to have a fast charge in 20 min ? probably have a vending machine style charger.
Cars like the Spark and the Juke have to be looked at in the right element. Picture them rolling through the streets of vivid Asian cities (where they were designed), and they become much more fitting.
Not just Asian cities, but in some American cities (as in both North and South Americas) the Spark is sold and used very well (even as a TAXI!) and competing with small Asian and European cars.
Sorry but no matter what country they are in they are still ugly.
Cars like these are generally designed from the inside out and for practical use not so much styling elements.
Take one of the greatest art works in the world and put it on a postage stamp and it will be much less effective in detail than if it is in a full size. Same idea applies here. This is going to be the real challenge for designers into the future. One is to make the car practical, but yet still trying to set it apart from the others in the segment,
GM has tried to do this with the Adam as well as Fiat and the Mini. One of the best small cars to make good use of styling is the Opel Astra 3 door hatch. They did something that is difficult buy getting some flow with the body lines. But then what they did there could not even be used on a Adam so they worked more with the roof and color.
It will be interesting to see how the designers work and what all they will try to be original with their new product in the micro segments.
Just look at the extremes cars like the Cube have taken the practical use over styling. They resorted to asymmetrical windows to set it apart. Even that did not work.
This is one area they can not even fall back on the Retro crutch too easily unless you are Fiat or a company with the heritage of small micro cars.
SPARK EV RULES!!!!
Easy, folks. The Spark is a brilliant ride, about the most fun you can have on four wheels. Calling it names or trying to insinuate that it only belongs in Asian cities is pretty dim. If you need an F250, go buy one. And enjoy. But be aware the Spark driver that zips past you is also having a thrilling driving experience. Because it’s a truly amazing car. Don’t take my word for it , test drive it yourself. It’s FUN!
I just leased a 2014 Chevy Spark EV, nice fast little car. Inside it feels like a bigger car. It drives like a big car. the DC chargers, Blinknetwork.com, are charging $8 for a full charge. If it is less for a partial, it might be a good deal. Blink is charging $1/hr for the 240V chargers that can top off the car in an hour, 30% depleted. At home it can cost anywhere from $.70/hr to over $2/hr depending on your usage time or Tier level. Some employers have chargers set up for $.50/hr. That is a nice benefit. Don’t judge a book by it’s covers. The Spark EV actually looks a lot like the FIT, the Focus, Prius, and other like size small cars. Nothing ugly about it when you save money on gas or electricity. The Juke and the Kia Soul are strange looking cars. If you want to be slaves to the oil sheiks, enjoy your gas guzzler and live in the past. The new cars are nothing short of amazing. Bush and the oil companies want Americans to buy into dependence on oil and keeping us weak on national security. Democrats have embraced green technology and is moving the country and world forward with electric cars and green tech. Is it a perfect solution, no, but oil dependence wracks our economy and is a threat to our national security. 9/11 happened because our policies in the mid-east caused by the republican and tparty stupidity to stay dependent on oil, remember their victory cry, drill baby drill. Now you know that the Democrats are the ones who make America prosper and ahead of the world with technology and a strong military. Republicans and tparty are the party of no, no equality, no imagination, not supporting ordinary Americans. Remember that when you go to the ballot box this November and in 2016.