The 2014 Chevrolet Spark all-electric subcompact vehicle will be able to travel 82 miles on a single charge, or twice as far as the plug-in hybrid Volt can go according to General Motors.
The Spark EV, which goes on sale this summer, has a combined 119 miles-per-gallon-equivalent, a calculation released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today to give customers an idea of the money they'll save with the new model.
GM stated in a press release that the EV will appeal to many different kinds of drivers, but especially urban commuters who don't need to travel very far and want a model that is easy to park.
GM has said they're hoping to build up to 500,000 vehicles a year by 2017. This would include some form of electric power in the engine, including cars like the Spark EV, the Volt and gasoline-powered vehicles with the U.S. automaker's eAssist system that boosts fuel efficiency according to GM.
"Being able to provide our customers with the best overall efficiency of any retail EV has always been a key target for the Spark EV engineering team," said Pam Fletcher, GM executive chief engineer for electrified vehicles in a press statement. "We're poised to deliver to the market an EV that's not just efficient, but also thrilling to drive thanks to the 400 lb-ft torque output of its electric motor."
The company has yet to set the price for the Spark EV, but has promised the vehicle will cost under $25,000 once including the $7,500 federal tax credit.
The Spark EV comes standard with a 120-volt charge cord set, which can fully charge the vehicle in approximately 18 hours. GM claims the 120-volt charge cord is a back-up, travel charger that acts more as a backup according to Chief Executive Dan Akerson.
The Spark EV's lithium-ion battery pack has an eight-year or 100,000-mile warranty.
The Spark EV will include the option for a DC fast charger that allows it to recharge up to 80 percent of its capacity in about 20 minutes. Charging can also be completed in less than seven hours using 240-volt charging station.
Related Articles:
Porsche Boxster Tops Mercedes-Benz SLK, Audi TT and BMW Z4 in Consumer Reports Tests (VIDEO)
2013 Toyota RAV4 Review: Redesigned Model Falls Behind Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5 (VIDEO)
NHTSA Unveils New Distracted Driver Guidelines, Places Limits On Car Touchscreens (VIDEO)
Subaru Releases First Episode of Racing Web Series 'Launch Control' (VIDEO)
Danica Patrick Told to 'Shut Up and Race' By Fellow NASCAR Driver David Gilliland (VIDEO)
See Now: OnePlus 6: How Different Will It Be From OnePlus 5?
