Guess who has one of the most affordable electric car soon-to-be available? The Chevrolet Spark EV hits the market at below $20,000 after federal incentives.
If there is something I relish it’s covering electric cars, reading EV and plug-in hybrid news and seeing the new EV generation getting better and cheaper. GM has certainly spun the PR/Marketing windmill with its Volt, the plug-in hybrid, PHEV it insists on calling an Extended Range Electric Vehicle, EREV. It has certainly done pretty well and shown many that electric vehicles, even PHEVs are capable of handling everyday commutes. The Chevrolet Spark EV raises the price war stakes a little higher, coming in at below $20,000.
Technically Speaking. Using a 21 kWh lithium-ion battery pack backed by an eight-year or 100,000-mile warranty, whichever comes first, the Spark EV certainly has much to offer. The EPA estimates the range at around 82 miles, although this depends on where you live and how you drive. We’ll have to wait for the more accurate UDDS range estimate since it focuses on where electric cars excel, urban driving.
$20,000 For an EV. The Spark EV comes in with a low $199 a month for 36 months and $999 down when signing the lease. This does not include the security deposit, tax, title, and license dealer fees. Adding the federal incentives brings the Spark EV price down to $19,995. You can add further state incentives, if available, which will drop the price down to $17,495. And for those lucky enough to have local county incentives, the price could come down closer to $15,000, making it on par with a Mitsubishi i MiEV or Smart ForTwo EV.
As far as features are concerned, the Chevy Spark EV comes with a MyLink infotainment system coupled to a seven-inch touch screen, as well as Siri Eyes Free, Pandora and BringGo navigation.
Naysayers are probably finding a harder time to argue against electric cars. As each new generation brings either new features or lower prices, electric cars will continue to appeal to urbanites and city dwellers. If you’ve wondered how serious GM was about a real electric car after the EV-1 debacle, the wait should prove to have been well worth it. We will test drive the Chevrolet Spark EV and tell you how it performs in real life.
