Aren't they still made? They're a compliance vehicle so sale is limited to a few states and provinces so you won't see them everywhere but I think they're still making them. The fast charging probably has more to do with the small battery capacity but goes to show you don't really need the range everyone keeps looking for. However, the Spark EV is just a converted gasoline model, not a purpose designed EV, just one slapped together to meet compliance.
Hi Bill... Thanks for this video. Since your last winter video, I’ve picked up a 2015 Spark EV that I drive around Calgary. I get very similar mileage in similar temperatures here.... similar highway/city driving as well. Good to see that your car and my car are very similar in behaviour. I do not get that warning light however when fast charging. I level 1 charge at home with 8amps every night and on freezing or below freezing days, I also plug in L1 8A at work in the block heater plugs... always have plenty of range... my commute is typically 65km’s per day. Great Car!
I should also mention... for the fogging up windows... I found a setting in the car settings climate control for frost control. Having that on seems to have minimized any fog when using auto temp and re-circulation. With that feature off, I was finding the windows were fogging up quite a bit more.
Stephane Raimbault cool! Glad to hear you picked one up and that your enjoying it. I’ll look into the frost control, but I’m wondering if that is different from the 2014 to the 2015, unless you talking about the defrost button that blows air on the windshield?
Bill Holley Not sure if this is a 2015 thing, but it’s the settings section of the infotainment unit.... dig in there a bit... I believe it’s under car settings... you can only get to the menu when the car is on, and in park I believe.
Too bad that this car is no longer offered in the EV version. There has been little infrastructure here for EV vehicles, the state took out all of the charging stations at rest areas on the interstates. We have a 2014 Spark gasser ,it has been a good car and it is fun to run around in, doesn't take much petrol to keep it going. Thanks for the cool video !!!
Hi, Sorry. Yes D I find more efficient and more control of the regen. Really, the brake pedal does the same thing as L, brake has more control over the rregen.
Hi Gorlier Grégoire, it costs me $27 CDN a month to charge the car at home. That’s roughly 1600 km of driving for $27. At a DCFC from empty to 80% full has never cost me more than $3.80 CDN. And that takes less than 20min to charge.
Depends on your utilities per kWh rate. Mine is 11 cents (USD) per kWh of juice. A 19 kWh battery would then cost roughly $2.09 for a full charge (actually closer to $2.50 due to the charging process not being 100% efficient). So about $2.50 to go 80 miles. Keep in mind that public charging rates can be significantly higher. The ChargePoint Level II public charging station I use at work is closer to 20 cents per kWh. A full charge at this public charger is closer to $4.00.
Hey Bill! Thanks for the shout out! That had the Mrs and I in stitches! I'll have to try that recirculation setting I do get fogging like yesterday with the rain and weird Temps. That's a weird check engine warning, did you ever plug an obd2 to check it out curious what code it throws? I also recently purchased an Bluetooth odb2 and bought torque pro which estimates I have 14.5 usable left. I'm guessing you are close to 15 or 15.5 by the looks of it. That 4 DCFC location is it in St Eustache? I wondered where that was. I'll be curious what the battery conditioning will be on a -30 morning, if that's a problem getting to work from where you DCFC in St Eustache, I think at exit 23 on 15 south the 2 New DCFC at the shell station might be better for you range wise, or not? Thanks for the video always fun to watch!
Hi Peter! Lol... anytime, it’s fun to bring you into this. Ya, this one was in St Eustashe. It worked out really well, but I will keep the other one in mind. Thanks. I do have a reader. It never throws a code, it’s just a software ghost. But I’m getting it all checked up soon under warranty before it runs out.
@@BillHolleyWRH that's a good idea to have it checked, hey just curious you mentioned that when you DCFC the heater fails to start up does that coincide with the check engine light?
Peter , sorry this took so long to answer. The service light comes on after each DCFC, but the heater issue is intermittent. Did you say you bought a new car?
@@BillHolleyWRH ya I traded in Sparky because in February Hyundai called and the Kona Electric I had ordered last May 2019 arrived. It's pretty cool and the range is wild, all in all I'm happy with it .I have a warranty issue I have to call about nothing big just a sun visor. How's your spark doing?
Hi Peter! Great to hear from you. Glad to hear the Kona is holding up to expectations. Sparky is doing well. Getting 11.5kwh per 100km right now in Dunany up and down the hills. We are looking at Bolts and Konas right now waiting to see if there are any deals, but nothing interesting so far.
Hi Siby, I charge it daily to 100%. The thermo management system in the Spark only really works when the car is on or when parked plugged in. So on hot days it needs to be plugged in to auto cool the batteries and on cold winter days it heats the batteries only if plugged in. For the past 3 years the car has been always plugged in over night 7 days a week. This year will be different in that it will be plugged in 7 days a week during the day and unplugged over night.
@@BillHolleyWRH thanks for the quick response. I'm in NY and recently got a 2016 Spark EV. It's the first real winter for the car that spent it's past in sunny CA. I was going crazy over the 80% rule some users were concerned about. You have definitely put it at ease. Been following your videos for knowledge and tips. Thanks a ton for doing this..
Hi Siby, 80% is for DCFC (fast charging) and it’s a guild line really. As you could see on my video, the car will slow the speed of charge at 80% to protect the battery from over heating damage during charging. Level 1 and Level 2 are no issue for charging to 100%. Thanks for the great feed back and I know you will enjoy this little rocket. I’m glad I could help.
@@BillHolleyWRH Is the Spark like the Volt, meaning 100% is really 90%? I read that GM blocks all of their EV to 90%, in order to prevent over charging. This way they don't have to honor failed batteries under warranty. ( Which makes sense ).
Hi Joe mariconadas, Yes, all electric car batteries have a buffer zone at both the top and the bottom for protection. That buffer is not taken into account when the battery is tested for failure. In all legitimate failures I’ve head of, the test is based on usable battery capacity.
How many level 2 charging stations does your workplace have and will they install more as more people purchase EV's? Hard to believe any rental apartment in Canada would not at least have outlets for block heaters often wired specifically to the renters circuit panel box in their apartment so the power would be charged to the renter. There used to be those poles to hold the extension cables over the sidewalk in areas with only street parking as many cities did not allow the extension cables to lie on the sidewalk directly.
We have 1 L2 charging station that is upgradable to have a second charge cable added. I believe that with the current government incentives that it would not be an issue to add more charging spots as EV adoption rises.
@@BillHolleyWRH I guess, the problem is how long will the government incentives be available and of course conservative governments have a habit of canceling such incentives. Thanks for replying, I knew Quebec had a great incentive to purchase EV's but I didn't realize they had incentives for employers to install charge points, I had expected them to be a matter of the property management company or your employer directly as to how many charge points to offer. I suppose a shortage of charge points at work would be an incentive to arrive early.
Hi, I traded the Spark EV in Aug 2020 for a 2020 Bolt. The Sparks battery was doing very well at 15.8kwh at 6 years old and 95,000 km. It was still getting about 120km average on the GOM on full charge in the summer and that winter I was getting 80km average on full charge.
Yes, but on 120V you're only getting 15 amps in most homes. That's only about 1.8 Kilowatts of charging power. Not sure what year this Spark is but it likely has 19 kWh battery size so you'd be looking at 11-12 hours to fully charge it (actually it might be closer to 13 hours as the BMS will slow way down near the end of the charge as it tries to balance every cell). Also, with the proper Level II charging cable (available on eBay for about $250) you can plug this into your 240V electric dryer or electric range receptacle and charge at 3.3 Kilowatts in about 5 hours.
Remember, the speed is in kilometres per hour. And, many sections of the video are sped up so you don’t have to watch too much boring video of me driving.
This car was ahead of its time, really good fast charging speed and active cooling, would def have over a Leaf
Aren't they still made? They're a compliance vehicle so sale is limited to a few states and provinces so you won't see them everywhere but I think they're still making them. The fast charging probably has more to do with the small battery capacity but goes to show you don't really need the range everyone keeps looking for. However, the Spark EV is just a converted gasoline model, not a purpose designed EV, just one slapped together to meet compliance.
@@johnwang9914 no they stopped making this in 2017.... only have the Bolt and Bolt EUV now
@@azera55555 That's a shame. It seems that they intend to keep EV prices high.
Hi Bill... Thanks for this video. Since your last winter video, I’ve picked up a 2015 Spark EV that I drive around Calgary. I get very similar mileage in similar temperatures here.... similar highway/city driving as well. Good to see that your car and my car are very similar in behaviour. I do not get that warning light however when fast charging. I level 1 charge at home with 8amps every night and on freezing or below freezing days, I also plug in L1 8A at work in the block heater plugs... always have plenty of range... my commute is typically 65km’s per day. Great Car!
I should also mention... for the fogging up windows... I found a setting in the car settings climate control for frost control. Having that on seems to have minimized any fog when using auto temp and re-circulation. With that feature off, I was finding the windows were fogging up quite a bit more.
Stephane Raimbault cool! Glad to hear you picked one up and that your enjoying it. I’ll look into the frost control, but I’m wondering if that is different from the 2014 to the 2015, unless you talking about the defrost button that blows air on the windshield?
Bill Holley Not sure if this is a 2015 thing, but it’s the settings section of the infotainment unit.... dig in there a bit... I believe it’s under car settings... you can only get to the menu when the car is on, and in park I believe.
Nice, Thankyou!
Too bad that this car is no longer offered in the EV version. There has been little infrastructure here for EV vehicles, the state took out all of the charging stations at rest areas on the interstates. We have a 2014 Spark gasser ,it has been a good car and it is fun to run around in, doesn't take much petrol to keep it going. Thanks for the cool video !!!
still have it? how is the battery? the 2014 has the A123 batteries only made for that year.
Great video! Notice you didn't drive in L mode at all. Do you find that it isn't as efficient as just D with braking for regen?
Hi, Sorry. Yes D I find more efficient and more control of the regen. Really, the brake pedal does the same thing as L, brake has more control over the rregen.
Hey! Bill how much does it cost you for a full charge? vs a full-up at. a Gas station for a regular gasoline spark
Hi Gorlier Grégoire, it costs me $27 CDN a month to charge the car at home. That’s roughly 1600 km of driving for $27. At a DCFC from empty to 80% full has never cost me more than $3.80 CDN. And that takes less than 20min to charge.
Depends on your utilities per kWh rate. Mine is 11 cents (USD) per kWh of juice. A 19 kWh battery would then cost roughly $2.09 for a full charge (actually closer to $2.50 due to the charging process not being 100% efficient). So about $2.50 to go 80 miles. Keep in mind that public charging rates can be significantly higher. The ChargePoint Level II public charging station I use at work is closer to 20 cents per kWh. A full charge at this public charger is closer to $4.00.
Hey Bill! Thanks for the shout out! That had the Mrs and I in stitches! I'll have to try that recirculation setting I do get fogging like yesterday with the rain and weird Temps. That's a weird check engine warning, did you ever plug an obd2 to check it out curious what code it throws? I also recently purchased an Bluetooth odb2 and bought torque pro which estimates I have 14.5 usable left. I'm guessing you are close to 15 or 15.5 by the looks of it. That 4 DCFC location is it in St Eustache? I wondered where that was. I'll be curious what the battery conditioning will be on a -30 morning, if that's a problem getting to work from where you DCFC in St Eustache, I think at exit 23 on 15 south the 2 New DCFC at the shell station might be better for you range wise, or not? Thanks for the video always fun to watch!
Hi Peter!
Lol... anytime, it’s fun to bring you into this.
Ya, this one was in St Eustashe. It worked out really well, but I will keep the other one in mind. Thanks.
I do have a reader. It never throws a code, it’s just a software ghost.
But I’m getting it all checked up soon under warranty before it runs out.
@@BillHolleyWRH that's a good idea to have it checked, hey just curious you mentioned that when you DCFC the heater fails to start up does that coincide with the check engine light?
Peter , sorry this took so long to answer.
The service light comes on after each DCFC, but the heater issue is intermittent.
Did you say you bought a new car?
@@BillHolleyWRH ya I traded in Sparky because in February Hyundai called and the Kona Electric I had ordered last May 2019 arrived. It's pretty cool and the range is wild, all in all I'm happy with it .I have a warranty issue I have to call about nothing big just a sun visor. How's your spark doing?
Hi Peter! Great to hear from you. Glad to hear the Kona is holding up to expectations. Sparky is doing well. Getting 11.5kwh per 100km right now in Dunany up and down the hills.
We are looking at Bolts and Konas right now waiting to see if there are any deals, but nothing interesting so far.
Hey what's that phone mount you are using?
Miracase phone mount from Amazon.
Bill how often do you charge it to 100% on weekdays and how often do you keep it plugged in?
Hi Siby,
I charge it daily to 100%. The thermo management system in the Spark only really works when the car is on or when parked plugged in. So on hot days it needs to be plugged in to auto cool the batteries and on cold winter days it heats the batteries only if plugged in.
For the past 3 years the car has been always plugged in over night 7 days a week. This year will be different in that it will be plugged in 7 days a week during the day and unplugged over night.
@@BillHolleyWRH thanks for the quick response. I'm in NY and recently got a 2016 Spark EV. It's the first real winter for the car that spent it's past in sunny CA. I was going crazy over the 80% rule some users were concerned about. You have definitely put it at ease. Been following your videos for knowledge and tips. Thanks a ton for doing this..
Hi Siby,
80% is for DCFC (fast charging) and it’s a guild line really. As you could see on my video, the car will slow the speed of charge at 80% to protect the battery from over heating damage during charging. Level 1 and Level 2 are no issue for charging to 100%.
Thanks for the great feed back and I know you will enjoy this little rocket.
I’m glad I could help.
@@BillHolleyWRH Is the Spark like the Volt, meaning 100% is really 90%? I read that GM blocks all of their EV to 90%, in order to prevent over charging. This way they don't have to honor failed batteries under warranty. ( Which makes sense ).
Hi Joe mariconadas,
Yes, all electric car batteries have a buffer zone at both the top and the bottom for protection. That buffer is not taken into account when the battery is tested for failure. In all legitimate failures I’ve head of, the test is based on usable battery capacity.
How many level 2 charging stations does your workplace have and will they install more as more people purchase EV's?
Hard to believe any rental apartment in Canada would not at least have outlets for block heaters often wired specifically to the renters circuit panel box in their apartment so the power would be charged to the renter. There used to be those poles to hold the extension cables over the sidewalk in areas with only street parking as many cities did not allow the extension cables to lie on the sidewalk directly.
We have 1 L2 charging station that is upgradable to have a second charge cable added. I believe that with the current government incentives that it would not be an issue to add more charging spots as EV adoption rises.
@@BillHolleyWRH I guess, the problem is how long will the government incentives be available and of course conservative governments have a habit of canceling such incentives. Thanks for replying, I knew Quebec had a great incentive to purchase EV's but I didn't realize they had incentives for employers to install charge points, I had expected them to be a matter of the property management company or your employer directly as to how many charge points to offer. I suppose a shortage of charge points at work would be an incentive to arrive early.
Do you still have that car how's the batteries holding up?
Hi,
I traded the Spark EV in Aug 2020 for a 2020 Bolt.
The Sparks battery was doing very well at 15.8kwh at 6 years old and 95,000 km.
It was still getting about 120km average on the GOM on full charge in the summer and that winter I was getting 80km average on full charge.
I'm not familiar with EV's. Can you plug it into house current like you would a box fan, etc.?
Yes, can can plug into the house 110 outlet. we do that at the cottage for a full charge overnight.
Yes, but on 120V you're only getting 15 amps in most homes. That's only about 1.8 Kilowatts of charging power. Not sure what year this Spark is but it likely has 19 kWh battery size so you'd be looking at 11-12 hours to fully charge it (actually it might be closer to 13 hours as the BMS will slow way down near the end of the charge as it tries to balance every cell). Also, with the proper Level II charging cable (available on eBay for about $250) you can plug this into your 240V electric dryer or electric range receptacle and charge at 3.3 Kilowatts in about 5 hours.
why you going so fast around the corner
Remember, the speed is in kilometres per hour. And, many sections of the video are sped up so you don’t have to watch too much boring video of me driving.
🤣
Fast charge… my car take 8 hours to charge and even then it’s not full.. I hate this car.
Sorry you are not happy Enzo.
Level 1 charging is always going to take more time. Level 2 will get you charged under 4hrs.