Hot off the heels of General Motors’ announcement that the Opel Ampera will cease to exist, a buzz has been brewing surrounding the latest General Motors electric vehicle. It has been said that a pure electric Chevrolet Sonic will be sold right here in the United States.
The proposed Sonic EV will allegedly run off of the new LG Chem battery (the same company that supplies the Volt) due to arrive in 2016. The Sonic EV is expected to have a range of 200 miles. Compare that with the Spark EV, which has a range of just 82 miles.
General Motors will be able to gain regulatory credits if it builds the pure EV in America, leading many to believe that its birthplace will be Michigan. The Spark EV, in contrast, is ineligible because it is built in South Korea.
Moving opposite to market trends.
With four model years recommended for purchase.
This example is a former NCRS award winner.
Many automakers oppose right-to-repair laws citing cybersecurity concerns.
Breaking out the spec sheets for a comparison.
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The Sonic should be powered by:
1.3t I4 (VVT, SIDI, IVVL, and VTM) with 150HP and 160-175LB-FT
1.6cdti I4 (VVT, IVVL, and VTM) with 130HP and 215-230LB-FT
7-Speed DCT
Stop/Start
Active Grille Shutters
A full EV model with up to 200 miles on a charge would be amazing! That would allow GM to fully compete with the Leaf and gain several new EV customers!
Although I had been hoping the Spark EV would become more widely available in the U.S. within the next model year or tow, I'd be even more interested in a Sonic EV due to its somewhat larger size.
It would, IMO, be somewhat less cramped and more conducive to running errands aside from being only a commuter car for driving to and from work with. A 200 mile range would make this a DEFINITE candidate for us.
This would make GM a player in a mass market electric at a reasonable cost. It would be a great car for commuters, running errands and taking into the city for ball games. I would consider it if priced around $20k.