The 5-door hatchback has an oil-cooled permanent-magnet motor that produces 100 kW (130 hp) of power and a 20 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
GM answered some questions this week about its much-anticipated Spark EV, the company’s first all-electric model since the martyred EV1 (it is also launching a similar model called the Springo in China). The 2014 Spark EV is scheduled to go on sale in California next summer.
The 5-door hatchback has an oil-cooled permanent-magnet motor that produces 100 kW (130 hp) of power and 400 ft-lbs of torque, and can do 0-60 mph in less than eight seconds. GM says range will be “among the best in the segment.”
“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.”
The Spark uses the new SAE combo charging standard, and features an on-board DC fast charger that will allow charging to 80 percent of battery capacity in 20 minutes. Its 20 kWh lithium-ion battery pack will carry a warranty of eight years or 100,000 miles (the same as the Volt). GM says the battery pack is capable of handling multiple DC fast charges daily (other automakers have said that too-frequent fast charging can shorten battery life).
“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.”
Source: GM
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