GM Will Market Spark EV's Performance More Than Environmental Cred
As GM starts rolling out the Chevolet Spark EV, starting in eco-friendly California and Oregon, Automotive News has a look at the marketing challenges the newest electrified car from America’s largest car company. AN raises the issue of GM’s electrification strategy, which is focused on battery electrics, not conventional hybrids, and the sui generis Chevy Volt. While hybrid sales this year are up, EV sales continue to be lukewarm which has resulted in significant price cuts on cars that run on batteries: $4,000 off the price of the Ford Focus Electric, $6,400 off the price of a Nissan Leaf, and GM itself started offering a cash rebate of $4,000 last month on 2013 Chevy Volts.
Analysts consider the Spark EV to be a “compliance car”, built and sold solely to meet California’s environmental laws, which require automakers to make zero emissions vehicles. GM denies that, but the company also said that initial production numbers of the Spark EV, built in Korea, would be modest and the automaker would not cite specific projections, and as mentioned, the Spark EV is currently only available in California and Oregon.
Interestingly, it looks like GM will not be marketing the Spark EV on its environmental credentials, but rather as fun to drive. The electrified Spark can get to 60 in 7.6 seconds and Chevy is even running ads touting the fact that the Spark EV’s 400 lbs/ft of torque is not just the most in its class, it’s more than the Ferrari 458 Italia puts ou.
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I'd be curious what the range is at a steady 78 MPH.
tumbleweed has performance too when there is wind. this go cart is for teens of the wealthy who give kids what they want rather than what is good. other than that it might work for those needing a wedge for tight parking. the attempts at making this pile of crap appealing is funny to watch.
For the fluffos who think torque is the factor most influencing acceleratioj, note that the Ferrari 458 Italia passes 100 mph in 7.5 seconds from a standing start. 30 mph takes just 1.4 seconds. You'd have to be a full time mouth breather or a Chevrolet marketing exec to point out that for a split second, the Spark EV and the Ferrari have the same torque, neglecting such trivia as gearbox and axle ratios, but why perturb the masses? McDonalds burgers contain beef, but so do Kobe steaks. There is some difference, I've been led to believe, but a big dollop of ketchup evens it all out for the true marketer.
I'm just not understanding why mfgs are selling these compliance cars outside of CA where the ZEV mandate applies. I do understand why they are offering them in WA and OR. One of the Nissan dealers in the Seattle area constantly advertises that they are the number one Leaf dealer in the US and they are all over around here. Interestingly Ford didn't make the Focus EV available in WA initially despite the fact that we have that #1 Leaf dealer and in general they are selling like crazy at least in the greater Seattle area.