GM releases more Spark EV details

Toward the end of last week, General Motors released details of its pending pure electric vehicle, the Chevrolet Spark EV.

The electric car will be based on the small gas-engine Spark already offered.

Its propulsion will delivered by an oil-cooled, permanent magnet motor that produces at least 100 kilowatts (130 horsepower) and instantaneous torque of about 400 pound-feet with the coaxial drive unit.

GM says the resulting acceleration for the 0-60 mph sprint will take less than eight seconds.
 

 

The Spark EV will come with an industry-first, a SAE combo charger. This will allow DC fast charging of up to 80 percent of battery capacity in approximately 20 minutes.

That capability will be available shortly after market launch, GM says, adding it will assist with effective daily EV range.

“When our team set out to develop the propulsion system for Spark EV, we knew we had to provide surprising fun-to-drive acceleration with maximum efficiency,” said Spark EV Chief Engineer Chuck Russell. “What we think customers will enjoy most is how fun Spark EV is to drive; it’s seamless and power is available at every stage of the drive. This will help us to provide an exciting option for those customers who are looking for an EV that’s as muchfun to drive as it is environmentally responsible.”

The Spark EV’s more than 20-kwh lithium-ion battery pack will be protected by Chevrolet’s eight year /100,000 mile warranty, and is said by GM to be capable of handling multiple DC fast charges daily.

 

Charging will also be possible in less than seven hours using a dedicated 240-volt charger. A 120-volt charge cord set will be standard.

Owners will be able to manage and monitor charging remotely using the Spark EV’s smart phone application, provided by OnStar.

“Spark EV’s battery has undergone more than 200,000 hours of testing in our global battery systems labs,” said Larry Nitz, executive director of GM’s global electrification engineering team. “This testing paved the way to allow our customers to do multiple DC fast charges daily to help alleviate range anxiety and improve convenience.”

Yes, the company that brought you the Chevy Volt partially justifying its sophisticated “range-extended” powertrain as a cure for range anxiety in the face of such alternatives as the 24-kwh Nissan Leaf is not a little mindful of “range anxiety” for its little roller skate to be launched in California next summer.

We’ve seen speculation by skeptics figuring if GM allows 80-percent usage of a 20-kwh battery’s total – assuming it is only 20 kwh – the Spark might get somewhere little more than 50 miles real-world range but this is mere conjecture, and not something GM is prepared to shed light upon.
 

 

An email to GM’s Kevin Kelly, manager, Electric Vehicle and Hybrid Communications probing about range netted the following reply:

“We are still in the final stages of development and are working on the final range numbers,” said Kelly. “All we are saying is that it will be among the best in its segment.”

So what car is best in its segment? Is that the Nissan Leaf? By 2013 Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has said a better battery will be in place, but we’ve not seen confirmation this will be 25 percent more as some have speculated based on Japanese reports.

Further, GM may not even be thinking of the Leaf, which is a mid-size car. “Small” EVs – and the Spark is definitely small – include the Coda sedan, Ford Focus Electric, and perhaps closest in size may be the Mitsubishi i-MiEV (yes, they’re back to calling it the “i-MiEV” having called it the “i” for a while). The Mitsu is EPA rated at 62 miles EV range, the Ford gets 76, and while reports of the Coda going over 120 miles are common, EPA says it’s 88.

Perhaps quick charging capability for the BEV with the Bowtie badge will be a welcome thing.

In any case, GM says the Spark EV team was able to leverage expertise gained from the Volt program and uses many of the same components and systems. More than 75 percent of the propulsion system components are sourced either from the Volt or GM’s hybrid truckprograms.
 

 

The Spark EV motor and drive unit will be manufactured early 2013 at GM’s transmission plant in White Marsh, Md., near Baltimore. GM says this will make the first time a U.S. auto manufacturer has built both a complete electric motor and drive unit for a modern electric vehicle in the United States.

“Spark EV is the latest demonstration of our growing expertise in electric motor and battery technologies – expertise we will need as we grow our portfolio of electric vehicles to address the needs of our global customers,” Nitz said.

Source: GM-Volt.com