SteveMeister
Hang out with Steve.
By the way, the Spark with a gasoline engine looks almost identical. It's not a bespoke design like the Leaf. In other words, it ain't ugly because it's electric.
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Chevy throws down the gauntlet $27,495 for Spark EV (Less than $20K after tax-credit)
- Thread starter speculawyer
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Wait 400 mpge or 400 miles per charge? I don't think the former is even physically possible.
Liberty4all
Banned
As a Canadian I share the same sentiment. Looks like an average subcompact. When I travel to the US though it's very noticeable how much they love their big cars.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
I blame the Prius. The Prius was always a little weird looking, but they sold well because people wanted others to know they had a hybrid on sight.
Best value, best interior of any compact IMO.
Per charge. But yea not until oil companies lose some power.
I'm curious why not.
MilesWebber
Member
Kind of OT but how would EVs handle high heat climates like the southwest? I can't imagine those batteries do well at 115-125F....
Low temperatures affect the range, but I don't think I've ever seen them tested as high as you're stating I think.
MilesWebber
Member
To google!
Edit: looks like some people report that running the AC zaps up to 50% of the range at 90F and higher...
Here's proof of testing but I couldn't find any results:
http://www.plugincars.com/chevy-takes-volt-desert-extreme-climate-testing-38404.html
SteveMeister
Hang out with Steve.
The average cost of electricity is about 11 cents per kWh. The Spark EV has 21kWh batteries so a full charge would cost around $2.30. The monthly cost would depend on how often you had to charge it. Let's say you drive 500 miles a month. Rounding down the Spark EV's range to 50 miles (it's expected to get 82) you'd need 10 full charges, so it'd cost about $23.
Compare that to a car that gets 40mpg and let's assume a super cheap $3 per gallon. 500 miles would require roughly 12.5 gallons at a cost of about $36. Even being generous with mpg and the price of gas it's still cheaper to keep the Spark EV charged.
Devil Theory
Member
Not everyone looks at a car as a fashion statement. As a means of reliable, energy efficient, and low cost transportation, this is a big win in my book. The more electric cars the better. The styling can (will) come later.
EDIT:
Am I reading this incorrectly, or does it really say a full overnight charge only takes you 82 miles?
That's actually pretty good for an electric car, which is the primary problem with electric cars today. But for their specific use case (commuting and city use) they're pretty effective.
I love the looks and versatility of my Gen 3. The wedge design is best for aerodynamics as well.
CriginsMcJuggs
Member
much prettier. It's no Tesla, but at least it's not a 1997 Diahatsu like the Spark.
Haha what? This looks like Mom jeans: The car. Spark looks much slicker IMO.
We're over half way there already. A 400 mile range EV will probably be affordable in 10 years. That said, you don't need a 400 mile range EV unless you're driving close to that distance everyday since you're going to plug it in every night at home.
Yeah, Mazda has really dropped the ball on EVs. Too bad they're going to be left behind when all of the other car makers have a decent EV offering in a few years. This is coming from a fellow 3 owner.
FrostuTheNinja
Member
Why do most electric cars have to look like a poo?
Uhhhh why exactly was it not a good car? This should be good.
I know you've said this before as well without any explanation, so I'd like to hear it.
Those aren't superminis... The Golf and Astra are much bigger than the Spark which is one of the cheapest cars out there.
This may be the silliest comparison I've ever seen. Presumably somebody paid for that truck at some point.
Yup. I did.
For some odd reason there are very few pretty small cars in the US.
Top Gear video of the Civic.
Sadly both of the cars that preceded these were uglier.
Top Gear video of the Civic.
Cool.
How long does it take to do a full charge?
Are there electric stations like gas stations? How long does it take to charge there?
Do you think just maybe it might be worth accounting for that expenditure when you consider what's more economical?
Obviously if we just assume that everybody always already has a gasoline car that's in good condition and doesn't need to be replaced then electric cars will never be successful. But in the real world people need to buy new cars all the time.
lol
But hey, people bought tons of Prius', which aren't exactly lookers, either.
This definitely makes it a pretty viable choice for somebody looking for a green car. I hope it sells well and manufacturers feel more comfortable in creating more(and better looking) electric cars as a result. If this fails, its going to make all the car makers very cautious.
And EVs have far less parts that can break, so fixing one would be quite simple compared to an ICE car.
Depends on the EV and the plug. EV owners plug their cars in at night when they get home and the car is ready to go with a full battery in the morning.
The number of charging stations is increasing steadily each month across the US. As far as charging time it can take as long as you would take charging at home or as little as 30 minutes with a fast charger. People seem to think EV charging stations will have to be as ubiquitous as gas stations are for ICE cars for EVs to be usable. This isn't true because your house acts as the main charging station for your EV and in effect is like a gas station that is always there and never closes.
I don't think it looks thaaaat bad, or not any worse than your typical compact atleast.
I hope this car does well too, it's an aggressively priced entry level electric car, a direct response to the people who complained about the price of electric cars.
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