Looking to broaden Chevrolet’s green horizons, General Motors global product overlord Mark Reuss says a new EV is in the works, one that will join the Spark EV and the Volt. And just as TTAC reported earlier this year, the new vehicle will be based on the Chevrolet Sonic.
Automotive News reports the vehicle will likely be based upon the B-segment Sonic, have a range of 200 miles, and will become a part of the Bow Tie’s model portfolio by 2017 at the earliest, all according to two individuals close to the source. Reuss, for his part, didn’t disclose more than the fact the vehicle will soon exist.
The EV may have been in development for some time: prior to his departure for greener groves in 2013, then-CEO Dan Akerson said GM was working on a vehicle that would deliver 200 miles of travel on a single charge.
As for where it might be sold, the Spark EV is currently available only in California and Oregon, though the brand’s customers around the country would like to put the electric subcompact in their garages, per Reuss.
I’m still waiting on word of the next Volt. If Chevy can lower some weight, improve the interior design and get the price around $30K even to start I might have to jump on that.
Do we know how closely related to the Cruze the next-gen Volt will be? I would think GM could save a little dough by merging compact platforms, especially if this new EV is gonna be a Sonic variant.
That’s the idea. GM has ideas of consolidating everything to just four platforms, so it’s probable that either the subcompact and compact or the compact and mid-sized FWD cars will share the same platform. Maybe they’ll even be able to squeeze the full-sized cars onto that platform.
I wouldn’t doubt it. How much bigger is the Impala than the Malibu? I think at one point the Malibu was actually larger than the W-body Impala.
This! This is why I get confused when talking about Malibu vs. Impala. I know the Impala is supposed to be bigger, but it’s recently not really been.
I’ve read that the Cruze and Volt will both use the same platform. Unlike the 1st Gen Volt, which used the Cruze platform, this was engineered with the Volt in mind. The next Volt looks to be bigger and seat 5. Not sure if that was what you were looking for.
Gee,I can’t wait until this is rebadged as a Cadillac!!!
Cimarron 2018,now with even more suck.
…from the basement of his mind comes this insight.
Jalopnik and Autoblog are that way…—>
We’ve already got the Cimarron. It’s called the ATS.
[Exit, stage left, to avoid onslaught of tomatoes]
2017 at the earliest, huh? I guess we’ll just wait for it while Tesla continues to gain marketshare in a market they’ve literally created out of thin air.
In the meantime, I’m just waiting on the right time to buy a Model S. Since the reveal of the dual motor semi autonomous Model S, I think I may wait a little while longer.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Prius continues to sell, and sell and sell……
According to Edmunds, the average Prius spiff was $2,424 in 2013, up from $973 two years before, and just $168 in 2009. Sales leadership is partly fueled by hidden discounts.
Doesn’t matter. What matters is, they sell.
Look at the huge markups and discounts on America’s trucks, advertised in very large print that you can get up to $10,500 off MSRP with all the spiffs.
Discounting the Prius models just brings them down to what real-world buyers will actually shell out for them.
And as we all know, there is a price for everyone.
We refer to it as negotiating our best deal but in reality it is the dealer coming down to a price the buyer will bite on. Old hat trick.
It is reasonable to assume that because of economies of scale the cost of actually making that Prius should also have come down resulting in a greater profit margin for the manufacturer.
Reuss at his best.
A 200 mile EV is a worthy goal, but making it a Sonic seems like a really bad idea. I think it would probably be better and less expensive to make the next volt in two versions: battery only and battery + generator. I think you’d have to be crazy to pay 30,000 for a sonic, even if it was an EV.
The best affordable pure EV out there right now is the new Kia Soul EV, the best battery + generator is definitely the volt, GM should build on that success and brand.
>> The best affordable pure EV out there right now is the new Kia Soul EV, the best battery + generator is definitely the volt, GM should build on that success and brand
The Volts meager 3.3 kw on-board charger is incredibly slow compared to modern EVs and EVs with range extenders. The Leaf has a 6.6kw on-board charger available and the i3 I think has 7.4 kw standard. Both have DC Level 3 charging available. I know people with Volts and they take forever to charge.
I’m curious, why do you think the Soul EV is better than the Leaf? I looked at the Soul EV and ended up with a Leaf SL with every option. Nissan was offering plenty of cash on the hood and KIA isn’t even selling the Soul EV in my state, much less discounting. Even if they were, it seemed to be missing features like LED headlights and premium sound system options. It also lacks the support from the huge user base that Leaf owners enjoy. Nissan has also had time to work out the bugs and current Leafs have enjoyed numerous improvements over the original 2011 models.
It’s interesting how a few players are now promoting the 200-mile EV years ahead of time.
Nissan’s been fairly quiet about this, except the highest range I’ve heard might be available in Leaf 2.0 is about 150 miles.
EV range has suddenly become akin to the towing capacity wars between trucks.
GM’s stylists will have to up their game if they think a Sonic EV will compete with the Model 3. Being homely is one reason Coda failed. The Roadster/Lotus, Model S, and Model X all give me hope that the Model 3 will be a looker.
Pretty girls don’t sell cars; pretty cars sell cars.
Is it worth making something off the Sonic when you have the Spark EV already? Aren’t they REALLY similar in size, and customer base?