Alexis, Louis at GM Lussier has a whole bunch from Cali he just brought in to Quebec. They have 3 years experience with these cars, I bought mine there 3 summers ago. Mine has the 3 year bumper to bumper GM warranty on it.
Bill, I'm thinking about buying a Spark EV 2016 imported from Cali or Oregon with hopefully real low mileage (like 36000 miles or something). Given it has a slightly different battery, do you think I should ask GM to provide me with a battery test to see how much residual life is remaining? How much % of battery loss do you think is acceptable or I should expect? Thanks in advance for your advice!!
Hi Alexis, Where are you? Yes, I would ask for a report, but you can also ask them to charge the car to 100% for a test drive. Then drive it to 50% on the energy menu and see how many KWH it has used at 50%. I would like to see at 16kwh usable battery, if I were buying one. These cars have a great battery management system and should be at this level unless mistreated or affected by heat.
@@BillHolleyWRH ok so on a 19kw battery, 16kw of usable power (approx 85% left) would then give how much autonomy on ideal conditions (summer/winter)? I'm living near St-jérôme and commute 75km per day as my workplace is in Boisbriand. Thanks for your advices, much appreciated!
On an new battery You’ll have about 18.4 usable. Mine was at 17.4 when we got it at 30,000km and is now at about 16.8 with almost 80,000km on it. At 16.8kwh we are getting about 80km in -5c to -25c temps and in summer we see an average of 125km. But this all really depends on your style of driving. The car is totally capable of hwy driving at 120-130kph but distance will be drastically reduced. In winter I drive back and forth on the 15 from Montreal to St Sauver and get 80km on the way there at 90kph. On the way back to Montreal I only need 60km to do the trip because its a bit down hill to the city. Honestly, getting a Spark for your first EV is great, you will learn so much about how to drive efficiently and the car really responds well to your driving style. It’s easy to figure out what works best. On the hwy drive in “D” it allows the car to coast better when you lift of the pedal, actually, I drive in “D” all the time now and I am getting the best overall mileage. “L” is fun but no advantage and on the hwy it hurts your distance. I hope this helps. Get the PlugShare app for locating charging stations. It’s the best.
@@BillHolleyWRH I use my spark to commute about 112 miles round trip.i try to keep my freeway driving minimal as possible not going past 60 mph and take side streets.from home to work is 56 miles .So if I drive conservatively I usually into the city where I work with 15 to 29 miles ledt on my battery
I’m guessing you charge at work, right? We find with ours that we get better mileage on the highway and worse in the city. The stop and go for stop lights and stop signs, even in “L” seems to be harder on range than it is to maintain a constant 50 miles an hour on the highway. Sounds like you have a good battery and good driving habits.
@@BillHolleyWRH Yes sir I do charge .y car up at work and when I get home. I don't think my battery is that good because I actually get terrible mileage when I'm driving on the freeway.Mt battery last longer in slower speeds.i will have to post a video to show you.
I have a 2015 model as well and I have noticed that the battery range is reduced significantly when driving on the freeways. I think it is because the vehicle has to push harder against the wind resistance while driving at higher rates of speed. that is only a guess though. that would be why it gets better mileage at slower speeds.
I heard that a electric car has better traction control ability than conventional engine car because it has faster response. How good the ability of Spark EV? on snow road, is it good?
JAEMIN JEON, happy to help. There are lots of winter videos on my Chanel were you can see how it handles in bad winter weather. I have never gotten stuck with the Spark EV..
@@BillHolleyWRH Thanks, I watched your videos last night but I couldn't watch videos about driving on winter roads, I'll see today! I have engine car, it's my main one but I'm consodering to purchase Spark EV for fun and efficiency. The price used one is approximately 11,000~12,000usd.
@Bill Holley was wondering since i just got a high mileage 2014 spark here in mtl. I thought it might have been yours since they are almost identical, except i realized yours in white, and mine is grey :P
Hi Bill, thanks for the video, it's awesome. I'm looking to buy a Spark EV these days. I tried it twice and I find it fun to drive. The one I'm looking is a 2015 with 60k on the odometer, has +-60km shown available on a full charge (these winter days) and can go up to around 110 km autonomy in the summer. This is based to the current owner's habit. He is driving it mainly on a flat area (around Drummondville). He says he doesn't pay much attention to his driving impact on the autonomy, he only has 10km to work. I'm staying near Quebec City where that are more hills and I have 25km to work going down in the morning, up at the end of day. I was wondering if I pay attention to climate settings and drive, I could perhaps get to 70-0km autonomy in the winter ? That would make me more comfortable. I don't know about the battery health yet, but I'm going to have it tested. If it has at least 16kWh I guess I'd be happy. I think this car is great, but it's the battery degradation and autonomy worries me, I'd like to keep the car many years if possible.
Hi David, Yes, driving habits will change the mileage you will get. My 2014 still has 16kwh on the battery at 90,000 km. My trips from the cottage to home are about 80km. Leaving from Montreal it’s slightly up hill and I get 70km out of the Spark at 90kmh(sparky does better at 80kmh, but I can’t drive that slow on the highway) and I do a fast charge in Lachute for 5min to get me the rest of the way. Coming down from the cottage it only uses 63km door to door even though I actually drove 80km. I hope this helps. @peter he drives in a more mountainous area, he might have more info to add.
So do you like your Spark EV? I intend to get one. I have about 70 km back and forth to work. I have to take de 15 HW. Traffic can be heavy! So is a goob buy for me. Regards.
Hi Donald! Yes we like the Spark. We drive it every day for 3 years now. Our battery has about 16kwh usable and that gets me about 70 to 75km of range in the winter. We get about 120 to 130km in the summer. Good thing is that there are a lot of DCFC (BRCC) chargers on the 15 autoroute. Get the “PlugShare” app to find fast chargers.
Hi David, That is the usable battery capacity. It does not vary by season, but it will get lower over time as the battery degrades. Luckily, GM electric vehicles have a great thermo system and well built batteries that are proving to be durable.
Hi Robert at those temps unplugged is not the best idea you will loose alot of range due to the fact the battery must not freeze so it will use it's HV battery to keep the temp around 54 to 56 deg F if not the car will not be useable. On average you can loose around 15% over night and even more when you start useing it, until the battery warms up enough from use, then the battery heating system will shut off. If the car was a long range model, like the Kona it wouldn't be such a big deal but given the fact its a small battery it really hurts the range. Plus you want to warm up the inside as well defrost etc.. If possible always plug it in during the winter.
Hi Robert, great question! @peter, great answer, thanks. I don’t have any experience with this situation yet because I’ve alway had the car plugged in over night. BUT, I have recently move and the new place has no charging spot for me overnight. So stay turned for more videos on this exact subject. I am now charging at work during the day and leaving the Spark unplugged over night at home.
Hi Bill! This is a video I didn't expect to see, what a flashback! I noticed that at the end you had 2% battery conditioning loss are you still charging at the cottage with 120? I noticed charging on 240 for my first winter I didn't have any conditioning occurring unless it was minus stupid cold out and I didn't preheat the car long enough before leaving. I know you have 240 at home does it ever condition when you leave on a cold day? You must have quick charged in Sauveur on the way home?
Hey Peter! Ya the footage got lost and just found, but i thought I would post it anyway. Yes, 120 at the cottage and 240 at home. No conditioning noted on the 240, but I park in a garage at home. I did not charge in Sauveur because it was in use. I did stop at St Jerome, but the driving conditions were bad and it was not a good idea to video the rest of the drive. How was your winter in Sparky? I'll post a new warm weather video soon. I am getting an average right now of 16.0kwh and max distance of 169km.
@@BillHolleyWRH Wow that's amazing range for this time of year! I'm at around 16kwh estimated cause I haven't gone much below 20% and at that point I have about 30 to 35Km left at best. My best after a full charge right now is 114 and a max of 136Km, I would suspect the region I live in a bit colder and hillier than where you live to account for the difference. This will be my first summer with Sparky I'm already liking the car, now even more with the warm weather! I just installed a replacement home charger My Juice Box 40 crapped out after 7 months thankfully eMotorWerks in California has great after sales service they got me back up and going in just over 2 weeks. Winter was an interesting experience and I couldn't think of a better car to start off with. Just really made you think on how to be a more efficient driver, and whatever electrc car I get "by the way I'm Waiting on a Kona" will payoff even more, because it can only get better! I wish GM would bring back this car with a slightly bigger battery, it's perfect for local driving and the odd trip to mtl!
@@Peter-st1lt Hi Peter, what is your average range in the winter ? I also live in a hilly area and I'm trying to figure out how much a spark would do. I have a 22 km distance to work.
@@Guliavan Hi David, today was a good test pretty cold here temp starting from my place to dropping my wife off at work started at - 10 cel and along my route temp dropped to - 17 cel at times altitude change is quite dramatic roughly 800 feet along the route. So you definitely need heat at a reasonable temp not too hot. With all that said I used 89% battery to do 64 km and be comfortable. The car has close to 57000 km and an estimated winter capacity of 14.5 kw. If the temp was around +5 cel the same trip I would have about 35% remaining.
Driving fast in the snow. I just bought the 2020 1LT. I hope it does well when winter hits Saint Louis MO.
I’ve driven the Bolt in a snow storm and it drove great. We just bought a 2020 Bolt too.
@@BillHolleyWRH Ty. I traded a 2009 smart car for it. The Smart's drive was really bad in snow.
Alexis, Louis at GM Lussier has a whole bunch from Cali he just brought in to Quebec. They have 3 years experience with these cars, I bought mine there 3 summers ago. Mine has the 3 year bumper to bumper GM warranty on it.
Hi Bill, the “N” on the screen behind the wheel means North; there is a compass? And which winter tires on your Spark EV?
AptypAL hi!
Yes a compass. Good catch.
I run Bridgestone blizzack WS80.
Bill, I'm thinking about buying a Spark EV 2016 imported from Cali or Oregon with hopefully real low mileage (like 36000 miles or something). Given it has a slightly different battery, do you think I should ask GM to provide me with a battery test to see how much residual life is remaining? How much % of battery loss do you think is acceptable or I should expect? Thanks in advance for your advice!!
Hi Alexis,
Where are you?
Yes, I would ask for a report, but you can also ask them to charge the car to 100% for a test drive. Then drive it to 50% on the energy menu and see how many KWH it has used at 50%.
I would like to see at 16kwh usable battery, if I were buying one. These cars have a great battery management system and should be at this level unless mistreated or affected by heat.
@@BillHolleyWRH ok so on a 19kw battery, 16kw of usable power (approx 85% left) would then give how much autonomy on ideal conditions (summer/winter)? I'm living near St-jérôme and commute 75km per day as my workplace is in Boisbriand. Thanks for your advices, much appreciated!
On an new battery You’ll have about 18.4 usable. Mine was at 17.4 when we got it at 30,000km and is now at about 16.8 with almost 80,000km on it.
At 16.8kwh we are getting about 80km in -5c to -25c temps and in summer we see an average of 125km. But this all really depends on your style of driving.
The car is totally capable of hwy driving at 120-130kph but distance will be drastically reduced. In winter I drive back and forth on the 15 from Montreal to St Sauver and get 80km on the way there at 90kph. On the way back to Montreal I only need 60km to do the trip because its a bit down hill to the city. Honestly, getting a Spark for your first EV is great, you will learn so much about how to drive efficiently and the car really responds well to your driving style. It’s easy to figure out what works best.
On the hwy drive in “D” it allows the car to coast better when you lift of the pedal, actually, I drive in “D” all the time now and I am getting the best overall mileage.
“L” is fun but no advantage and on the hwy it hurts your distance.
I hope this helps.
Get the PlugShare app for locating charging stations. It’s the best.
Alexis make sure it has ccs fast charging ability not all of them do! Being stuck somewhere with only the ability to charge at level 2 really hurts!
Excellent point Peter!
You actually got some pretty good range while driving in the snow.My Chevy spark wouldn't of made it.Mine is a 2015 model.
sksman I drive this road regularly and have had the opportunity to try driving it different ways to see how to get the most out of the car.
@@BillHolleyWRH I use my spark to commute about 112 miles round trip.i try to keep my freeway driving minimal as possible not going past 60 mph and take side streets.from home to work is 56 miles .So if I drive conservatively I usually into the city where I work with 15 to 29 miles ledt on my battery
I’m guessing you charge at work, right?
We find with ours that we get better mileage on the highway and worse in the city. The stop and go for stop lights and stop signs, even in “L” seems to be harder on range than it is to maintain a constant 50 miles an hour on the highway. Sounds like you have a good battery and good driving habits.
@@BillHolleyWRH Yes sir I do charge .y car up at work and when I get home. I don't think my battery is that good because I actually get terrible mileage when I'm driving on the freeway.Mt battery last longer in slower speeds.i will have to post a video to show you.
I have a 2015 model as well and I have noticed that the battery range is reduced significantly when driving on the freeways. I think it is because the vehicle has to push harder against the wind resistance while driving at higher rates of speed. that is only a guess though. that would be why it gets better mileage at slower speeds.
I heard that a electric car has better traction control ability than conventional engine car because it has faster response. How good the ability of Spark EV? on snow road, is it good?
I would not say that the Spark EV has better traction control than an ICE car.
@@BillHolleyWRH Thank you for your reply. Have a good day
JAEMIN JEON, happy to help.
There are lots of winter videos on my Chanel were you can see how it handles in bad winter weather. I have never gotten stuck with the Spark EV..
@@BillHolleyWRH Thanks, I watched your videos last night but I couldn't watch videos about driving on winter roads, I'll see today! I have engine car, it's my main one but I'm consodering to purchase Spark EV for fun and efficiency. The price used one is approximately 11,000~12,000usd.
Hey Bill, wondering if you ever got rid of your spark? Or are you still daily driving it?
Hi Brandon,
I traded the SparkEV in on a new Bolt. Love the Bolt, but I should never have let the Spark go. Missing it.
@Bill Holley was wondering since i just got a high mileage 2014 spark here in mtl. I thought it might have been yours since they are almost identical, except i realized yours in white, and mine is grey :P
@@brandonberiault4015 That’s great, enjoy!
Hi I have a question for you. What kind of tires do you use for winter? thanks you are videos are very useful
Isabela Abarzua-kostan ,
Bridgestone Blizzak WS80
Hi Bill, thanks for the video, it's awesome. I'm looking to buy a Spark EV these days. I tried it twice and I find it fun to drive. The one I'm looking is a 2015 with 60k on the odometer, has +-60km shown available on a full charge (these winter days) and can go up to around 110 km autonomy in the summer. This is based to the current owner's habit. He is driving it mainly on a flat area (around Drummondville). He says he doesn't pay much attention to his driving impact on the autonomy, he only has 10km to work. I'm staying near Quebec City where that are more hills and I have 25km to work going down in the morning, up at the end of day. I was wondering if I pay attention to climate settings and drive, I could perhaps get to 70-0km autonomy in the winter ? That would make me more comfortable. I don't know about the battery health yet, but I'm going to have it tested. If it has at least 16kWh I guess I'd be happy.
I think this car is great, but it's the battery degradation and autonomy worries me, I'd like to keep the car many years if possible.
Hi David,
Yes, driving habits will change the mileage you will get. My 2014 still has 16kwh on the battery at 90,000 km.
My trips from the cottage to home are about 80km. Leaving from Montreal it’s slightly up hill and I get 70km out of the Spark at 90kmh(sparky does better at 80kmh, but I can’t drive that slow on the highway) and I do a fast charge in Lachute for 5min to get me the rest of the way. Coming down from the cottage it only uses 63km door to door even though I actually drove 80km.
I hope this helps.
@peter he drives in a more mountainous area, he might have more info to add.
@@BillHolleyWRH Well, this gives me hope. :D
Oh an thanks again for all the good infos
So do you like your Spark EV? I intend to get one. I have about 70 km back and forth to work. I have to take de 15 HW. Traffic can be heavy! So is a goob buy for me. Regards.
Hi Donald!
Yes we like the Spark. We drive it every day for 3 years now. Our battery has about 16kwh usable and that gets me about 70 to 75km of range in the winter. We get about 120 to 130km in the summer. Good thing is that there are a lot of DCFC (BRCC) chargers on the 15 autoroute. Get the “PlugShare” app to find fast chargers.
@@BillHolleyWRH Thanks for your advise. I might built a battery pack to give extra millage.
@@BillHolleyWRH Another question for you Bill, when you say 16kWh, does this number varies between seasons or does it stay the same basically ?
Hi David,
That is the usable battery capacity. It does not vary by season, but it will get lower over time as the battery degrades. Luckily, GM electric vehicles have a great thermo system and well built batteries that are proving to be durable.
Hi! How does the Spark behave when parked outside, unplugged, overnight, at -30 with a full charge? Any issues?
Hi Robert at those temps unplugged is not the best idea you will loose alot of range due to the fact the battery must not freeze so it will use it's HV battery to keep the temp around 54 to 56 deg F if not the car will not be useable. On average you can loose around 15% over night and even more when you start useing it, until the battery warms up enough from use, then the battery heating system will shut off. If the car was a long range model, like the Kona it wouldn't be such a big deal but given the fact its a small battery it really hurts the range. Plus you want to warm up the inside as well defrost etc.. If possible always plug it in during the winter.
Hi Robert, great question!
@peter, great answer, thanks.
I don’t have any experience with this situation yet because I’ve alway had the car plugged in over night. BUT, I have recently move and the new place has no charging spot for me overnight. So stay turned for more videos on this exact subject.
I am now charging at work during the day and leaving the Spark unplugged over night at home.
@@BillHolleyWRH Hi Bill you sold your place in town or the one up north?
Hi Peter, we changed locations in the city.
@@BillHolleyWRH you've downsized to an apartment, do you have access to power?
It's been 100F here in Florida lol
Tommy TwoGun , ya we’ll never see that temp here lol. Maybe 80’s once and awhile.
Hi Bill! This is a video I didn't expect to see, what a flashback! I noticed that at the end you had 2% battery conditioning loss are you still charging at the cottage with 120? I noticed charging on 240 for my first winter I didn't have any conditioning occurring unless it was minus stupid cold out and I didn't preheat the car long enough before leaving. I know you have 240 at home does it ever condition when you leave on a cold day? You must have quick charged in Sauveur on the way home?
Hey Peter!
Ya the footage got lost and just found, but i thought I would post it anyway.
Yes, 120 at the cottage and 240 at home. No conditioning noted on the 240, but I park in a garage at home.
I did not charge in Sauveur because it was in use. I did stop at St Jerome, but the driving conditions were bad and it was not a good idea to video the rest of the drive.
How was your winter in Sparky?
I'll post a new warm weather video soon. I am getting an average right now of 16.0kwh and max distance of 169km.
@@BillHolleyWRH Wow that's amazing range for this time of year! I'm at around 16kwh estimated cause I haven't gone much below 20% and at that point I have about 30 to 35Km left at best. My best after a full charge right now is 114 and a max of 136Km, I would suspect the region I live in a bit colder and hillier than where you live to account for the difference. This will be my first summer with Sparky I'm already liking the car, now even more with the warm weather!
I just installed a replacement home charger My Juice Box 40 crapped out after 7 months thankfully eMotorWerks in California has great after sales service they got me back up and going in just over 2 weeks.
Winter was an interesting experience and I couldn't think of a better car to start off with. Just really made you think on how to be a more efficient driver, and whatever electrc car I get "by the way I'm Waiting on a Kona" will payoff even more, because it can only get better! I wish GM would bring back this car with a slightly bigger battery, it's perfect for local driving and the odd trip to mtl!
Ya, right now my wife is driving Sparky daily on the 15, 30km each way at 90kph. From montreal to Rosemère not to many hills. Makes for good numbers.
@@Peter-st1lt Hi Peter, what is your average range in the winter ? I also live in a hilly area and I'm trying to figure out how much a spark would do. I have a 22 km distance to work.
@@Guliavan Hi David, today was a good test pretty cold here temp starting from my place to dropping my wife off at work started at - 10 cel and along my route temp dropped to - 17 cel at times altitude change is quite dramatic roughly 800 feet along the route. So you definitely need heat at a reasonable temp not too hot. With all that said I used 89% battery to do 64 km and be comfortable. The car has close to 57000 km and an estimated winter capacity of 14.5 kw. If the temp was around +5 cel the same trip I would have about 35% remaining.