Tyrone Flowers Thank you and stay tuned for some serious content on the Spark . Just got two fron semi slick design tires and they are hooking up , the car is even faster that it can put the power down .
Even if you buy the 2015-2016 the 2014s 400 ftlbs has a 3.1 final drive but the 2015 has 327ftlbs but a 3.8 final drive making the same power. It is limited 0-30 but once you get up there it feels like its going to take off. It could easily be a Tesla if Elon would make something like this .
You sold me on this car. Was afraid that a 7.2 second 0-60 would be a bit slow for my wishes, but after hearing your side of the story and a few others who own a Spark EV, I'm confident the instant wall of torque you get makes it feel much faster than the number suggests. These are dirt cheap on the used market right now and I'm going to take the plunge in the next few months. :)
Arc the 0-60 is due to the controller limiting full power for the initial roll out until about 15mph. If you pedal it right at launch then feed it full beans it flies! The only car that hung off the line so far was another hybrid Lexus and we were dead even. I smoked a Camaro v6 off the line with my ECO tires ! A Jeep srt8 was full bore sounding glorious on the highway and I was RIGHT with it! The range has to work for you , expect about 60 miles from full charge in the winter using the heat. If that works for your daily drive before charging at home again , you will have no problem.
ycdocs120 just put sticky Achilles ATR sport tires 185/55R15 just up front to test the grip. This chassis with the upgraded spring rates really comes alive when you don’t spin on almost every launch . Getting some 0-50 0-60 times with the eco tires and the new tires. Video on the way. It is power limited till 35 mph but the manual says in D push the throttle half way after 35 full pull ! Strange right
@@svtwrc I have 195/55/r15 summer super sports on mine, you can almost go full lock before they rub. Found some chevy rims with cool color inserts to mount them on.
As an owner of a 2015 Spark EV I’d say it has the potential to be a “hot hatch” as there are some underwhelming aspects from the factory, imo. The biggest issue is probably the skinny factory tires. The brakes could be better. (this car can be downright dangerous in the rain if you aren’t mindful of its characteristics). The undefeatable traction control is a hindrance. The torque is clearly neutered off the line, definitely slowing the 0-60. 2-300 less lbs would be more optimal as well. The range needs to be at least 150 miles to be really daily livable as your only car, especially in the winter running the heat(unless your commute is round trip less than 50 miles).With all that said the car is still quite fun, especially for $9-10k used! Ill admit I am a bit of an enthusiast as I also own a Hellcat, Tesla model 3 performance and an old Miata. The Spark is a beater car for me:)
Ben Jake Hi Ben , I got some high performance tires for the Spark up front , still finding the match for the rear 195. The tires woke the steering up , braking is better , turn in and you can hook off the line in the right condition. now I’m getting some impressive launches dusting some turbo cars .my plan is to put the Megan racing suspension set up in and go SCCA Autocrossing as I’m a veteran autoX er. I believe with the sparks throttle response I can put some serious times down. There are videos or the Spark EV racing at Mazda Laguna Seca and it beat a lot of cars it should not have. It is soft in a lot of ways but so are some of the Hot Hatches out there. 08 WRX comes to mind. Old GTi was even soft in a lot of ways. The Hellcat must be amazing , I own a quick little Subaru but my wife is getting a Tesla and I think it needs to be the performance , what model we are still looking. Thanks for watching .
SVTWRC Yeah with the right set-up I can imagine the Spark EV performing very well in the autocross/autoX! The Hellcat is awesome; comfortable, sounds great with seemingly endless power, a bit under tired and has traction issues going wot 1st-3rd gear even 4th in the wintertime. You seem to be an enthusiast yourself. The performance 3 is definitely worth the extra money imo. The standard dual motor brakes and tires are underwhelming with much lower limits. The performance has superior handling and braking, sharper steering, track mode and a lot faster 0-60/satisfying g-force feel:)
Ben Jake yeah check out some of other videos , I Autocross and rallyX with SCCA but rally was beating the crap out of my WRX STi and my prepped Saab is in the junkyard with a broken frame from a jump . The Hellcat must be so much fun to try and get traction because I heard when it hooks you can go 0-60 in under 3 seconds! My fun vehicles need to be inexpensive performance type or at least like the Spark a potential style car so I can modify them and race them on a budget. The Tesla will be a shared car between me and my wife and I’m so excited been speaking with some people on modifying the Tesla and Spark . Specially the annoying 0-30 Spark software power reduction . Stay tuned that may be a good one.
Idk if you still have it, but try half throttle till 30mph then floor it. That's how the owner's manual says to launch and it grips and goes faster than if you let traction control detect slip, fight it, recover, then accelerate again.
Kip Winger hi there , the Spark differs from season to season so summer is around 80 miles a charge and winter can see a drop to 55 miles a charge due to the cabin heating using the power from the main battery. My work drive is around 40 miles round trip going the long way even in winter I can make it . If the driving your doing is in that 35-40 mile round trip before a home charge of around 12 hours using the wall plug at 120volts when empty this may work for you. As an only car this doesn’t make sense unless you have a strong charging infrastructure near you.
The digital speedo doesn't keep up because it has a garbage refresh rate. You can see it flickering in some of the video, it's like once every half second or longer.
I bought one a week ago. It's amazingly fun. I take people for rides and watching them hang on is funny. The strangest part is the silence. 30-70 is the best part, it'll lurch forward for passing all the while scrambling to stay on the road. Too much fun for this cheap.
I own a v8 supercharged jaguar xjr, it's a second and change faster to 60 but this little car feels quicker. The torque steer makes it more exciting, fun little go cart.
I think the appearance problem is the giant headlight profile that looks like a nostril. I would paint the black triangle body color & the same with the side of the lens that the light isn't shining through. Black plasti dip on the stock wheels might make them look bigger. Lowering the front for weight distribution & slightly wider tires in front should help launches
I've been using an OpenEVSE to set a timer so I can avoid charging over 80% when I walk in the house. It's a bit pricey and that I know that I only draw 16A max (12A at 120v) but I know of no other 120/240v EVSE that can set a timer or has built in Wifi to control my (SoC) state of charge.
Peter Sachs someone stated that the “always plugged in for the next drive “ dissipates the 12v quicker. As far as the 360v 19kwh in the rear , don’t know of any that have WiFi that would be incredible. You can also keep an eye on SoC through Torque Pro but you have to have the Bluetooth dongle plugged in .
Been watching closely at the 2016 Spark EV. Its a no brainer to purchase the Spark EV over the Nissan leaf for the price and performance. Thanks for Chevrolet spark ev 2016 used $15K CAD 4 seats DC fast charging 19kwh (but has a higher efficiency than the leaf & liquid-cooled) 326 lb torque 140HP 131km range Nissian Leaf 2016 $17K CAD 5 seats DC fast charging 24kwh 187lb torque 107HP 135km range
Jacky Heshi the thermal managed battery seems to be what separates this from most other EV at this range. The Spark is a little beast and could easily be the formula for what Tesla looks at for a small compact car.
Not all DC fast charging are the same. SparkEV charges from 0 to 80% in about 20 minutes, something that no EV can do (not even latest Tesla). It's not only because the battery is small, but battery chemistry and superior cooling. See my blogspot.
Any links or details on how you deleted the chrome window trim? You did it yourself? Any tips? Thanks. Its a great ride. So fast and fun. Were you lucky enough to get the fast charge option for long trips?
that would be amazing but the price tag was would be over 30k USD and it was already a head sell at 26k new. The Bolt doubled the range making the Spark an almost steal on the used market. It diminished in price over 65% in less than 2 years due to the Bolt.
I have a 62 mile round trip commute to my farm. I am looking at getting a Spark EV, how long does it take for a half and full charge using a regular power cord? I have access to power at the farm and i may put in a fast charger out there eventually. I worry about the winter but if i can charge it up there i should be ok im hoping.
Javier Picard hi honestly that’s too close to the actual range you will see in the winter with the heater on. The charge from empty is around 15 hours in the cold and around 7 to go from half. Not sure this is going to work for you my round trip is 30 and it’s perfect. Maybe the Bolt EV or something with over 140 miles range should really work for you. If you get stuck have to take a detour , you may be in trouble with the Spark.
@@svtwrc damn i figured charging during work hours would be enough to get back home. Driving up 31 miles to charge it for 7hrs would leave me with like 45miles or so being enough to get back?
@@javierpicard5532 if you get one with DC fast charge and have a charger near by you would be set. charging with the Level 1 set to max amps 12 would help.
@@svtwrc pardon my ignorance what level charging is 240v? If i have 240v at my farm and at the house i would be ok right? It would be 100% every time i go home or the farm. In the winter would it be less than 35 miles one way? I also have my truck and my gf kia soul incase the roads were too bad. My gf could usenthe spark in town and i could use the soul if it was that bad. It gets cold here but it isnt horrible.
Javier Picard we are all learning about EV here . Yes a level 2 @ 240 is the best bet . You can most definitely make that work from the sound of it as long there is a back up car. Also in the winter use the Temp button to heat the cabin then shut it off but leave the HVAC on circulate it keeps the heat for a while before you need to kick the button on again for a little bit, saves a ton of range with the heater on.
I have the 2015 and love the car you are spot on with this review! Around town super fun to drive, but on the interstate with the short and narrow wheelbase when you get in those tire grooves in the asphalt it get really weird when you put the hammer down!
Part of that is the the way the tread on the stock tires is set up. When we swapped our summer/winter aftermarket tires on it improved noticeably at speed.
TheMangoDiaries very simple why they stopped , The Bolt EV has more than double the battery range of the Spark EV . Tesla is making a car like the Spark , small inexpensive . I’ve been wondering why Tesla has not developed something like the Spark for more than a few years. All these rich people want is the Tesla Roadster with probably only a few people in the world can actually afford one and have it feasible to own one.
Yep remember when these were released in small numbers. You have the later LG Chem version with lower voltage battery system. The earlier ones with the A123 battery pack had a higher voltage system and had More Torque. This is a silly car that the GM Lawyers forgot to shutdown the project.
@@svtwrc Welcome to the crazy world of BEVs. The realy crazy cars are the half tonne batteries beyond 70kwh. At a low stress 8 C-Rating that is 560kw ~ 751hp. That is the absurdity of modern large format battery arrays.
Neojhun hopefully in the near future those modules will become small enough to allow long range EV race cars . It would be nice to retro fit a lighter weight module that has the same 21kw the current peck has but saves 300 lbs would equate to more range better performance.
Waiting our newly purchased '16 Spark LT2 via Carvana. It's supposed to be our daughter's college car, but she's not here yet and she's only got a driver's permit, so we can still enjoy it for about a year before she takes over. :-)
@@svtwrc Just got off the phone with our Allstate agent, and apparently the comp/collision coverage is 3x higher than the older ICE cars we have. So went with liability only. Is this typical? I will shop around for comparisons.
Andres Abreu that’s a tough one but you should be able to replace the Lead Acid 12v w lithium . I’m going to have to dig into this , maybe the cost was too high from the factory?
@@svtwrc I was able to find the OEM battery on Amazon. It was supposedly "new" but it clearly was not and was not the freshest date. It was also priced at $200 which was the cheapest I could find. From my research a non-AGM battery will work but will degrade quickly also another Spark owner suggests that a non-AGM battery might not be compatible with the electronics. They pointed out that the Volt also only uses AGM and it shares some of the same electrical components as the Spark EV.
Andres Abreu if the terminals and electronics can’t handle it , try an Optimum or an equivalent with a good reputation. Going to look into this for a few days, anything I find I will share.
Andres Abreu looking into rear brake pad change with the Electric parking brake. Supposedly it is only a cable style and not a motor attached to the rear caliper so as long as the electronica parking brake is disengaged there shouldn’t be an issue changing rear pads that’s going to be coming up in a future video. Some of them need a computer to put the break into service mode and some people have got away around that.
EverythingIKnow OMG there is a company called EVWest that may be able to help you fabricate anything . The motor and drive unit would live in the heavily modified trunk and you would put the batteries in the engine compartment . Please send pics ! Lol
@@svtwrc lol of course i know who ev west but I am doing this my self with another buddy. We are also doing a tesla model 3 drive unit in the back of frs. Using volt batteries. Some. In the engine bay and some where existing gas tank is. It actually should all fit pretty well and rip when it's done. The goal is to actually use two spark motors together
They are selling me a 2014 spark EV 2LT with 66,748 miles for $8995. I test drove it today and the car its fun to drive..he charged it all the way up and it said 81max miles. Unfrotunally the screen was not responding very well so he said he will replace it..iam trading my 2009 touring Prius with 126000 miles and dealer will givenme $4000 for it. What do u guys think?? I test drove spark EV for 10 miles one way freeway and city and it say energy used 2.4kwh don't know what this means??.weather was 92 outside and had ac at 68. I drove it for 20 miles round trip and it waisted 19 miles I believed. Most of the time I drive only 20 miles to work but other days about 50-60 miles..
Congrats 🎊 sounds like a good deal, they went up in price over the last year and the trade in price is high that’s good. The mileage is spot on you will see that number drop to 60 max when and if your going to use the heat. The heater is a major energy draw and the Spark make a guess based on your last 10 drive cycles. Don’t worry it will go back to 80 even more if you drive it conservative but I’m constantly on it. The screens are not hard to replace so hold them to it. Sounds like a good one enjoy !
Peter Sachs hey Pete , the Quickjack is the 5000 pound SLX model . It’s the best tool I have and it fits the Spark , my Subaru STi and WRX , Fiesta ST , mazdaspeed3 and you can buy extenders for SUV. Some of the larger Sedans and SUV s may need the 7000 lb system and the longer rails.
jordan AL Salaeta I would not buy this car as it only has a max range of around 80 miles in summer , 60 miles in winter when using the heat. My round trip is 30 miles so it’s perfect for my commute in any weather.
@@svtwrc I am from Jordan, I saw this car displayed at a Jordanian auction at a reasonable price of $ 21,000 Tesla is too high because of the $ 77,000 customs that I can not pay this price The price of fuel is very high, half of my salary goes just for fuel I think 150 miles is very appropriate
Milian TV nice!!! What trim and color. Just ordered two front semi slicks for this beast. Can’t wait for you to rip it for the first time. Traction control off , Sport button ON !
Newly Subbed because I have one! And it strangely feels like I'm keeping her for life... Too much fun! Thanks!
Tyrone Flowers Thank you and stay tuned for some serious content on the Spark . Just got two fron semi slick design tires and they are hooking up , the car is even faster that it can put the power down .
I can't agree more. Keeping for life. With better front tires I'm getting 5.8 sec 0-60 times. Where you get the vent shades?
The 2014 model has 400 ft’lbs of torque. It’s amazing fun. Flat on the high end, but boy does it rocket out of a stop light. It’s a poor man’s Tesla.
Even if you buy the 2015-2016 the 2014s 400 ftlbs has a 3.1 final drive but the 2015 has 327ftlbs but a 3.8 final drive making the same power. It is limited 0-30 but once you get up there it feels like its going to take off. It could easily be a Tesla if Elon would make something like this .
this is a homeless mans tesla, that being said i own a spark ev.
@@svtwrc Just imagine how much punch it would have if they didn't limit the power 0-30.
We have two 2014 2LT Spark EVs in Orlando super fun to drive I enjoy leaving all the gas cars in the dust.
Arthur Muriph it’s incredible that so many people like myself had no clue this even existed.
You sold me on this car. Was afraid that a 7.2 second 0-60 would be a bit slow for my wishes, but after hearing your side of the story and a few others who own a Spark EV, I'm confident the instant wall of torque you get makes it feel much faster than the number suggests. These are dirt cheap on the used market right now and I'm going to take the plunge in the next few months. :)
Arc the 0-60 is due to the controller limiting full power for the initial roll out until about 15mph. If you pedal it right at launch then feed it full beans it flies! The only car that hung off the line so far was another hybrid Lexus and we were dead even. I smoked a Camaro v6 off the line with my ECO tires ! A Jeep srt8 was full bore sounding glorious on the highway and I was RIGHT with it! The range has to work for you , expect about 60 miles from full charge in the winter using the heat. If that works for your daily drive before charging at home again , you will have no problem.
@@svtwrc And these things are inexpensive on the used market! Might be my kid's first car. Aside my Volt I already have.
I usually act slow til about 30 then stomp on it. That appears to be the sweet spot for torque vs traction.
ycdocs120 just put sticky Achilles ATR sport tires 185/55R15 just up front to test the grip. This chassis with the upgraded spring rates really comes alive when you don’t spin on almost every launch . Getting some 0-50 0-60 times with the eco tires and the new tires. Video on the way. It is power limited till 35 mph but the manual says in D push the throttle half way after 35 full pull ! Strange right
@@svtwrc I have 195/55/r15 summer super sports on mine, you can almost go full lock before they rub. Found some chevy rims with cool color inserts to mount them on.
As an owner of a 2015 Spark EV I’d say
it has the potential to be a “hot hatch” as there are some underwhelming aspects from the factory, imo. The biggest issue is probably the skinny factory tires. The brakes could be better. (this car can be downright dangerous in the rain if you aren’t mindful of its characteristics). The undefeatable traction control is a hindrance. The torque is clearly neutered off the line, definitely slowing the 0-60. 2-300 less lbs would be more optimal as well. The range needs to be at least 150 miles to be really daily livable as your only car, especially in the winter running the heat(unless your commute is round trip less than 50 miles).With all that said the car is still quite fun, especially for $9-10k used!
Ill admit I am a bit of an enthusiast as I also own a Hellcat, Tesla model 3 performance and an old Miata. The Spark is a beater car for me:)
Ben Jake Hi Ben , I got some high performance tires for the Spark up front , still finding the match for the rear 195. The tires woke the steering up , braking is better , turn in and you can hook off the line in the right condition. now I’m getting some impressive launches dusting some turbo cars .my plan is to put the Megan racing suspension set up in and go SCCA Autocrossing as I’m a veteran autoX er. I believe with the sparks throttle response I can put some serious times down. There are videos or the Spark EV racing at Mazda Laguna Seca and it beat a lot of cars it should not have. It is soft in a lot of ways but so are some of the Hot Hatches out there. 08 WRX comes to mind. Old GTi was even soft in a lot of ways. The Hellcat must be amazing , I own a quick little Subaru but my wife is getting a Tesla and I think it needs to be the performance , what model we are still looking. Thanks for watching .
SVTWRC
Yeah with the right set-up I can imagine the Spark EV performing very well in the autocross/autoX! The Hellcat is awesome; comfortable, sounds great with seemingly endless power, a bit under tired and has traction issues going wot 1st-3rd gear even 4th in the wintertime.
You seem to be an enthusiast yourself. The performance 3 is definitely worth the extra money imo. The standard dual motor brakes and tires are underwhelming with much lower limits. The performance has superior handling and braking, sharper steering, track mode and a lot faster 0-60/satisfying g-force feel:)
Ben Jake yeah check out some of other videos , I Autocross and rallyX with SCCA but rally was beating the crap out of my WRX STi and my prepped Saab is in the junkyard with a broken frame from a jump . The Hellcat must be so much fun to try and get traction because I heard when it hooks you can go 0-60 in under 3 seconds! My fun vehicles need to be inexpensive performance type or at least like the Spark a potential style car so I can modify them and race them on a budget. The Tesla will be a shared car between me and my wife and I’m so excited been speaking with some people on modifying the Tesla and Spark . Specially the annoying 0-30 Spark software power reduction . Stay tuned that may be a good one.
When do you have time to drive so many awesome cars?
Idk if you still have it, but try half throttle till 30mph then floor it. That's how the owner's manual says to launch and it grips and goes faster than if you let traction control detect slip, fight it, recover, then accelerate again.
Your review was very enjoyable, just the straight dope, telling it as you see it. This is a refreshing change from other reviewers. Subscribed, liked!
The Chenrezig Welcome to the channel ! Glad you enjoyed this , my full review is in the works. Thanks for watching.
....BLACK STRIPES INCREASED MY MILEAGE BY 12 MILES! ...
See Nomore haha
BS, stripes are for speed, not range
@@robertpryor7225 ...SOMEBODY GIVE THAT BOY A COOKIE ...HE'S GOOD!!
I'm considering one of these as a daily driver so I can keep my Avalanche for truck stuff. What kind of range do you normally get out of the Spark?
Kip Winger hi there , the Spark differs from season to season so summer is around 80 miles a charge and winter can see a drop to 55 miles a charge due to the cabin heating using the power from the main battery. My work drive is around 40 miles round trip going the long way even in winter I can make it . If the driving your doing is in that 35-40 mile round trip before a home charge of around 12 hours using the wall plug at 120volts when empty this may work for you. As an only car this doesn’t make sense unless you have a strong charging infrastructure near you.
Quarter mile...at a time
The black strip looks clean nice job Buddy!!
Thanks ! its a RAD car !!!
THANK YOU! Spark is now at the top of my test drive list. Would be interested to see what people are getting for real world range.
Good job man!!! Car looks so much better after your cosmetic upgrades.
It deserved a sporty look but they tried to make it a mass market car so fake chrome everywhere !!
The digital speedo doesn't keep up because it has a garbage refresh rate. You can see it flickering in some of the video, it's like once every half second or longer.
I have a 2014 ev in Jordan (( middle east)) I think it's the hottest hatch, I really love it and I'm enjoying smoking all of that gasoline cars
😂😂
Deyaa Fraihat it’s so much fun ! Hi from USA
@@svtwrc thanks brother 👍🏻
I bought one a week ago. It's amazingly fun. I take people for rides and watching them hang on is funny. The strangest part is the silence. 30-70 is the best part, it'll lurch forward for passing all the while scrambling to stay on the road. Too much fun for this cheap.
Totally agree!
I own a v8 supercharged jaguar xjr, it's a second and change faster to 60 but this little car feels quicker. The torque steer makes it more exciting, fun little go cart.
In india its called The Beat
I think the appearance problem is the giant headlight profile that looks like a nostril.
I would paint the black triangle body color & the same with the side of the lens that the light isn't shining through.
Black plasti dip on the stock wheels might make them look bigger.
Lowering the front for weight distribution & slightly wider tires in front should help launches
Robert Pryor Megan Racing Coilovers made a huge difference . So did the weight savings , race seat , and front tires.
"Problem" not "issue".
I've been using an OpenEVSE to set a timer so I can avoid charging over 80% when I walk in the house. It's a bit pricey and that I know that I only draw 16A max (12A at 120v) but I know of no other 120/240v EVSE that can set a timer or has built in Wifi to control my (SoC) state of charge.
Peter Sachs someone stated that the “always plugged in for the next drive “ dissipates the 12v quicker. As far as the 360v 19kwh in the rear , don’t know of any that have WiFi that would be incredible. You can also keep an eye on SoC through Torque Pro but you have to have the Bluetooth dongle plugged in .
Been watching closely at the 2016 Spark EV. Its a no brainer to purchase the Spark EV over the Nissan leaf for the price and performance. Thanks for
Chevrolet spark ev 2016
used
$15K CAD
4 seats
DC fast charging
19kwh (but has a higher efficiency than the leaf & liquid-cooled)
326 lb torque
140HP
131km range
Nissian Leaf 2016
$17K CAD
5 seats
DC fast charging
24kwh
187lb torque
107HP
135km range
Jacky Heshi the thermal managed battery seems to be what separates this from most other EV at this range. The Spark is a little beast and could easily be the formula for what Tesla looks at for a small compact car.
Not all DC fast charging are the same. SparkEV charges from 0 to 80% in about 20 minutes, something that no EV can do (not even latest Tesla). It's not only because the battery is small, but battery chemistry and superior cooling. See my blogspot.
@svtwrc - thanks for the vid, great detail and just picked up a 2016 2 days ago, same color as you show here and loving it!
Mike D thank you ! Got the racing stripe at my local auto parts store. Check out the other videos for the Spark . Enjoy your EV !
@@svtwrc Thanks for the reply - been watching all your Spark vids, good stuff and appreciated!
Mike D just got Megan Racing coilovers in ! Install vids coming soon
@@svtwrc
RAD!
Any links or details on how you deleted the chrome window trim? You did it yourself? Any tips? Thanks.
Its a great ride. So fast and fun. Were you lucky enough to get the fast charge option for long trips?
Apple Seed hi there. Just finished working on videos that answer your questions. Stay tuned.
Does it not have windshield wipers???
Yep!
Hi :) Where did you find your alcantara cover? Cannot find a decent one here in Canada..
AptypAL Hello I got that cover off EBay there are different options , the size is a 14 -14.5 inch .
AptypAL www.ebay.com/itm/323422179425
They should have made it AWD like most other electric vehicles. Otherwise a impressive little car, lots of potential.
that would be amazing but the price tag was would be over 30k USD and it was already a head sell at 26k new. The Bolt doubled the range making the Spark an almost steal on the used market. It diminished in price over 65% in less than 2 years due to the Bolt.
Only Tesla has AWD. Most EV are only 2WD.
I have a 62 mile round trip commute to my farm. I am looking at getting a Spark EV, how long does it take for a half and full charge using a regular power cord? I have access to power at the farm and i may put in a fast charger out there eventually. I worry about the winter but if i can charge it up there i should be ok im hoping.
Javier Picard hi honestly that’s too close to the actual range you will see in the winter with the heater on. The charge from empty is around 15 hours in the cold and around 7 to go from half. Not sure this is going to work for you my round trip is 30 and it’s perfect. Maybe the Bolt EV or something with over 140 miles range should really work for you. If you get stuck have to take a detour , you may be in trouble with the Spark.
@@svtwrc damn i figured charging during work hours would be enough to get back home.
Driving up 31 miles to charge it for 7hrs would leave me with like 45miles or so being enough to get back?
@@javierpicard5532 if you get one with DC fast charge and have a charger near by you would be set. charging with the Level 1 set to max amps 12 would help.
@@svtwrc pardon my ignorance what level charging is 240v? If i have 240v at my farm and at the house i would be ok right? It would be 100% every time i go home or the farm. In the winter would it be less than 35 miles one way?
I also have my truck and my gf kia soul incase the roads were too bad. My gf could usenthe spark in town and i could use the soul if it was that bad. It gets cold here but it isnt horrible.
Javier Picard we are all learning about EV here . Yes a level 2 @ 240 is the best bet . You can most definitely make that work from the sound of it as long there is a back up car. Also in the winter use the Temp button to heat the cabin then shut it off but leave the HVAC on circulate it keeps the heat for a while before you need to kick the button on again for a little bit, saves a ton of range with the heater on.
Just started looking into one of these, what tires did you upgrade to on the front?
Achilles ATR Sport stock size . great cornering and braking but Launching is a little tricky .
Why is your gauge cluster blinking like that???? It is going to give me a Fit.
djkenny so sorry it’s a frame per second thing with the camera and I use a few
. Some do it some don’t
Oh, huh?
I have the 2015 and love the car you are spot on with this review! Around town super fun to drive, but on the interstate with the short and narrow wheelbase when you get in those tire grooves in the asphalt it get really weird when you put the hammer down!
Peter it’s so different than gas cars. So happy with this so far.
@@svtwrc please keep posting videos on this car, there's not much on detailed performance tweeks on you tube thanks!
Part of that is the the way the tread on the stock tires is set up. When we swapped our summer/winter aftermarket tires on it improved noticeably at speed.
I wonder why they stopped making them
TheMangoDiaries very simple why they stopped , The Bolt EV has more than double the battery range of the Spark EV . Tesla is making a car like the Spark , small inexpensive . I’ve been wondering why Tesla has not developed something like the Spark for more than a few years. All these rich people want is the Tesla Roadster with probably only a few people in the world can actually afford one and have it feasible to own one.
OK does Chevy Spark 2021 have a timing belt or timing chain please tell me
Timing chain
@@DomWars9999 thank you
Yep remember when these were released in small numbers. You have the later LG Chem version with lower voltage battery system. The earlier ones with the A123 battery pack had a higher voltage system and had More Torque. This is a silly car that the GM Lawyers forgot to shutdown the project.
Neojhun haha just to prove your point we Camaro SS 2014 lost to the spark EV regularly that’s not supposed to happen !
@@svtwrc Welcome to the crazy world of BEVs. The realy crazy cars are the half tonne batteries beyond 70kwh. At a low stress 8 C-Rating that is 560kw ~ 751hp. That is the absurdity of modern large format battery arrays.
Neojhun hopefully in the near future those modules will become small enough to allow long range EV race cars . It would be nice to retro fit a lighter weight module that has the same 21kw the current peck has but saves 300 lbs would equate to more range better performance.
Just glad its not a prius
this thing does not like to stop in the snow
lucky enough to have Subaru for that.
Waiting our newly purchased '16 Spark LT2 via Carvana. It's supposed to be our daughter's college car, but she's not here yet and she's only got a driver's permit, so we can still enjoy it for about a year before she takes over. :-)
Jack you may just want to keep it and get her another one , they are so inexpensive due to the Bolt having more than double the range.
@@svtwrc Just got off the phone with our Allstate agent, and apparently the comp/collision coverage is 3x higher than the older ICE cars we have. So went with liability only. Is this typical? I will shop around for comparisons.
Jack did not go with collision , the price was the amount owed. Maybe a better deal else where ?
@@svtwrc thanks yes I got liability only, but shopping around for better quotes. Sounds like it's normal to have higher rates for EVs
As usual GM not advertising small cars ! Did not know about it !
Chevy only sold in 3 states mass and Oregon forget the other but The Bolt came out and you never heard of the spark again.
When replacing the 12Volt battery is it okay to go with a non-AGM battery? I had a very hard time finding an OEM AGM battery for this car.
Andres Abreu that’s a tough one but you should be able to replace the Lead Acid 12v w lithium . I’m going to have to dig into this , maybe the cost was too high from the factory?
@@svtwrc I was able to find the OEM battery on Amazon. It was supposedly "new" but it clearly was not and was not the freshest date. It was also priced at $200 which was the cheapest I could find. From my research a non-AGM battery will work but will degrade quickly also another Spark owner suggests that a non-AGM battery might not be compatible with the electronics. They pointed out that the Volt also only uses AGM and it shares some of the same electrical components as the Spark EV.
Andres Abreu if the terminals and electronics can’t handle it , try an Optimum or an equivalent with a good reputation. Going to look into this for a few days, anything I find I will share.
Andres Abreu looking into rear brake pad change with the Electric parking brake. Supposedly it is only a cable style and not a motor attached to the rear caliper so as long as the electronica parking brake is disengaged there shouldn’t be an issue changing rear pads that’s going to be coming up in a future video. Some of them need a computer to put the break into service mode and some people have got away around that.
Andres Abreu www.electriccarpartscompany.com/Replacement-Drop-In-for-12V-Lead-Acid-Batteries_c_131.html fact checking this
I just bought one salvage. Putting motor and batteries in a brz lol
EverythingIKnow OMG there is a company called EVWest that may be able to help you fabricate anything . The motor and drive unit would live in the heavily modified trunk and you would put the batteries in the engine compartment . Please send pics ! Lol
@@svtwrc lol of course i know who ev west but I am doing this my self with another buddy. We are also doing a tesla model 3 drive unit in the back of frs. Using volt batteries. Some. In the engine bay and some where existing gas tank is. It actually should all fit pretty well and rip when it's done. The goal is to actually use two spark motors together
They are selling me a 2014 spark EV 2LT with 66,748 miles for $8995. I test drove it today and the car its fun to drive..he charged it all the way up and it said 81max miles. Unfrotunally the screen was not responding very well so he said he will replace it..iam trading my 2009 touring Prius with 126000 miles and dealer will givenme $4000 for it. What do u guys think?? I test drove spark EV for 10 miles one way freeway and city and it say energy used 2.4kwh don't know what this means??.weather was 92 outside and had ac at 68. I drove it for 20 miles round trip and it waisted 19 miles I believed. Most of the time I drive only 20 miles to work but other days about 50-60 miles..
Congrats 🎊 sounds like a good deal, they went up in price over the last year and the trade in price is high that’s good. The mileage is spot on you will see that number drop to 60 max when and if your going to use the heat. The heater is a major energy draw and the Spark make a guess based on your last 10 drive cycles. Don’t worry it will go back to 80 even more if you drive it conservative but I’m constantly on it. The screens are not hard to replace so hold them to it. Sounds like a good one enjoy !
From other videos it looks like you own a Quickjack. Can you tell me what model you own and if it fits your little Spark EV?
Peter Sachs hey Pete , the Quickjack is the 5000 pound SLX model . It’s the best tool I have and it fits the Spark , my Subaru STi and WRX , Fiesta ST , mazdaspeed3 and you can buy extenders for SUV. Some of the larger Sedans and SUV s may need the 7000 lb system and the longer rails.
What is the 60mph to 75mph time?
Jason Carmichael th-cam.com/video/b0f7QIA1dz8/w-d-xo.html here are some test results using a GPS and OBD2 adapter with the App Torque Pro.
Nice review.
The Bolt has more guts and accelerstion than the Spark... I know I have both
The Bolt has a better final drive unit 7.1 .
@@svtwrc Bolt is also much heavier and somehow manages to have less rear headroom, it's kind of win some - lose some.
I go every day to work back and forth 115 miles
I will buy this car to save fuel
Will you cut all this distance?
jordan AL Salaeta I would not buy this car as it only has a max range of around 80 miles in summer , 60 miles in winter when using the heat. My round trip is 30 miles so it’s perfect for my commute in any weather.
@@svtwrc mmmmmm😲😲😨 Thank you so much ❤❤
@@svtwrc What do you recommend choosing the Renault Zoe 2018?
The Zoe is not sold in USA where I am but that only has 150mile range. Your commute is too far for anything but a fully charged Tesla.
@@svtwrc I am from Jordan, I saw this car displayed at a Jordanian auction at a reasonable price of $ 21,000
Tesla is too high because of the $ 77,000 customs that I can not pay this price
The price of fuel is very high, half of my salary goes just for fuel
I think 150 miles is very appropriate
I got it brother.
Milian TV nice!!! What trim and color. Just ordered two front semi slicks for this beast. Can’t wait for you to rip it for the first time. Traction control off , Sport button ON !
@@svtwrc Brother, I got the 2014 2LT. Nanophosphate batteries.
Milian TV 400ftlbs torque! The batteries are thermal managed and are rated 20 to 30 years without major degradation.
@@svtwrc That's exactly why I got it brother. It's an amazing piece of art.
We need to test tires with more grip. ;)
It looks like a hamster
Yoda or a Roller Skate !
nahh a guinea pig
No
freddy durst but is it the Unquestionable Truth ( fav album )