Exciting news dropped for GM EV owners this week: they finally have access to the Tesla Supercharger network more than a year after the plan was announced. There’s only one GM EV from the 21st century that isn’t compatible with the Tesla Supercharger network. It’s the often-forgotten Chevy Spark EV.
GM has confirmed that you can’t charge a Chevy Spark EV at a Tesla Supercharger station. This obviously applies to Spark EV units equipped with the DC Fast Charging option. It was available on the 2LT trim and up throughout its brief production run. When so equipped, this subcompact hatchback has a peak charging rate of 50 kW, enabling 80 percent worth of charge in 20-30 minutes. However, Spark EV owners are still confined to just non-Tesla DC Fast Charging networks from the likes of Electrify America and EVgo.
However, every GM EV released after the Spark EV has access to the Tesla Supercharger network. That covers all EVs based on the BEV2, BEV3, and BT1 platforms. Some Chevy Bolt EV models will need a software update to get Supercharger access. GM strongly recommends using the official, GM-approved NACS adapter available through the myChevrolet, myGMC, and myCadillac mobile apps.
To recap, the Chevy Spark EV was introduced in select markets in California and Oregon as a 2014 model. It rode on the same Gamma II platform that underpinned the gas-powered Spark, but used a 97 kW AC permanent magnet electric motor. Although the battery pack changed in 2015, every Spark EV had an estimated range of 82 miles on a full charge. The Chevy Spark EV was discontinued in 2016 and replaced by the BEV2-based Chevy Bolt EV in 2017.
Although largely overlooked, the Chevy Spark EV was a significant car for being GM’s first modern EV that you could actually buy. It was the first GM EV since the lease-only EV1 from the 1990s, and we all know what happened there. The Spark EV bridged the gap from the ill-fated EV1 to the Bolt, GM’s first EV available in 50 states.
So, to the few Chevy Spark EV owners out there, you now have another good reason to upgrade to a Bolt.
Comments
Only 82 miles on a full charge is diabolical
Kyle: We’re not talking EV’s of today. The Spark EV was introduced in 2013 as a 2014 model and was a “compliance” EV. Just like the Ford Focus EV and many others. Considering that it was introduced a decade ago, I don’t think 82 miles was great, but it wasn’t “diabolical”. Now if you take Mazda’s awful attempt at an EV (MX30) that was introduced in 2022, which only had 100 miles of range, now that was diabolical.
fair point
10 years later and my range is now 60 in Summer / 45 in Winter. It’s still enough to get me to work though (barely). I love that car, hope to get a few more years out of it.
So far I am getting 65 in Summer(2024), 43 in Winter, that’s 65 with 4 185/55r15 82T tires w/4 15×6″ stock rims, I discarded the 15×6.5″ rims, the 43 is from last winter(2023) and was shod with 2 185/55r15 Vrated cheap crap dealer installed tires and 2 195/55r15 Vrated cheap crap dealer installed tires, so cheap 1 front tire developed a sidewall bubble. Most Spark EV’s lack 1 cable to make them DC fast charge able and GM would need to do a software upgrade do the Sparks could use NACS CCS1 Superchargers(V3 and V4 only, V2 is not CCS1). I own a Spark 2LT EV and have owned my EV since Nov 2023, it was delivered in early Dec 2023.
I had a 2015 Spark EV 1LT in that blue. It was a fantastic little car and great for city driving and commutes that were under 40 miles each way. We need to remember that the Spark EV was introduced in 2013 and was a compliance car.
Anyhow, reading the title about the Spark EV not being able to charge at Tesla’s chargers made me laugh. Because the Spark had lower range (about 86 listed on the window sticker when new) and because most of them have lower max ranges now, DC fast charging takes very little time. I know Spark EV owners who will go to a DC fast charger with around 10%, plug in and be done charging in about 15 to 20 minutes.
I really don’t think the Tesla SC’s are needed for the little old Spark.
I wonder if anyone here has seen the YouTube video where a black Spark outaccelerates a black Camaro. That demostrated the instant high torque that the electric Spark had against the slower Camaro V8. Later videos of Tesla Model S accelerations proved this even more.
Haha !!
The writer doesn’t know that spark EVs don’t work at EVGOs either. They do work at Electrify America however.
Bill: That is not true. Where did you get that info?
I’ve personally seen Spark EV’s charging at EvGo fast chargers. All they need is to have the fast charging port.
Must depend on the year. I saw one guy try all 4 cords of 2 sharing dual port 350 kw chargers and then try the same thing at the other 2 cords.
Calling Gm energy didn’t help, of course.
I have noticed that sometimes , some of the 100 kw models are flakey and it takes a while to get them going
There’s a technical service bulletin about filing a nub of plastic down on the charge port to improve connection (rounding a corner)… Some connectors won’t seat fully and click on. Not sure if the ports were produced out of spec way back when, or if the source has changed or what. I’ve had a few instances where mine wouldn’t initialize, but sometimes lifting up slightly on the handle until it engages will do the trick.
It’s not that simple and please don’t file down connectors without doing your research. I own a 2015 Spark EV. If it wasn’t for bad news, we would have no news (literally).
The problem is the manufacturer of the fast charger. Not the network itself. On EvGo, ABB works, Delta does not.
They work at EvGO locations. Just not the ones with Delta branded units. Schneider Electric is also a no-go. The older ABB units are good too.
It’s not the Network. It’s the charger itself. My experience shows that most ABB and BTC, Leviton units work. Most Delta, Schneider,Foxconn and others don’t.
We might try to post a more extensive list on MySparkEV.com. heavens knows we don’t have much else to do.
Peter:
Well that’s nice, except for the fact that anywhere around me, all the EVGOs whether 100 kw or shared 350 kw have DELTA charging units… There is a 50 kw unit 310 miles from me that I don’t know what brand charger box feeds it…
No problem with the connectors at least….. My Caddy Lyriq seems ok with the DELTA units, although sometimes the 100 kw units are a bit flaky.
So much for (lack of) standardization.. You would think when they came out with that CCS1 standard in the first place – they would come up with a fool-proof, not too fussy standard and then at installation, test to make sure that anything that fits the CCS1 protocol would work.
Of course, instead of retracing their steps and getting all these straggler problems fixed, they decide to ‘Standardize’ the Tesla one and call it NACS. Knowing Tesla, that sometimes things work just by the skin of their teeth, and then the presumed big experts coming up with the NACS standard, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to think that there would be even more cars that won’t work right…
For instance, the Tesla Cyber Truck won’t Charge using Tesla’s own adapter… But thankfully I’m not forced to use their junk anymore.. Traded in my Roadster in 2015 for a nice new Caddy ELR on a Cashless trade.
Incidentally, I was told by my Tesla Representative that I was the very first person who charged at ‘220 volts’ using an adapter cable, and a standardized J1772 wallbox not made by them. Good thing – the $1,500 ‘220’ cable they sold usually burned out in 3-4 months and the repairmen always carried half a dozen of them in their vehicles. The warranty was 2 years/24,000 miles, so the question would have been – what do I do when I can’t get these replaced for free any longer? Thankfully, I never suffered from that problem.
I did make the mistake of being the first person in the Northeast USA to purchase a Schneider (square d) 30 amp charger box that tripped at 5 ma rather than the standard 30 ma. Since the roadster did a ground test at 6 ma I had redesign the charger to allow connections..
TL;DR
Man, absolutely no clue what that means….. Please stick to the King’s English.
Spark ev owners, like myself, most likely have no desire to upgrade. This would be a classic “ if it’s not broken… don’t fix it!” I do have a Nissan Leaf for sale… !