Pregled: 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV (s Video)

Zunaj Severne Amerike, to malo modre tabletke A segment car je znan kot na Daewoo Matiz Creative. Izgleda zastarel računalnik, periferne (ali noseča Rolšua), vendar GM trdi, da je Chevrolet Iskra je več navora kot Ferrari 458 Italia. Kot ljubitelj self-opisana tehnologija in kartica, ki prebivajo na levi obali, sem moral ček to jasno.

Iskra EV začne svoje življenje v mestu Changwon, Južna Koreja, kjer bencinski in električni iskre so zgradil GM Korea, ki je bila nekoč znana kot Daewoo. Ampak srce Iskra prihaja iz Amerike. GM je stavba trajnimi magneti motorji v Marylandu, in namesto LG udarjati narejen v Koreji (kot Volt) GM je uporabo American-made baterij courtesy of B456 (prej A123. Im ne bi ta gor). Za razlogov ne razumemo, GM ni početje a CODA in ladijski promet vozil sans-drivetran v Ameriko za montažo. Rastlin v Marylandu ladje baterije in drivetrain v Koreji, GM KoreaINSERTs v avto in ladij je zaključena enota nazaj v ZDA.
Iskra EV obstaja zaradi moje matične države Kalifornije. California Air Resources odbor je pooblaščena, da Toyota, Honda, NissanFord, GM in Chrysler, da skupno 7500 nič emisij vozil na voljo naprodaj leta 2014 in 25.000 do leta 2017. Do leta 2025, ta številka se pričakuje desetkrat.

Zunanjost
Splošno dolžina slotov Chevy med vrati Fiat 500e in štiri vrata Honda Fit EV ampak majhen Chevy je ožja od tako spodoben znesek. Kot Fiat in drugih majhnih avtomobilov, theres nekaj risanki o Iskra, ki je ljubezniv. Vse o razsežnosti. Žarometi, zadnje luči in rešetke so vse dokaj standardne velikosti, vendar so velike glede celotnega vozila. Iskra ni samo v tem, isto velja za Mini Cooper, Fiat 500 in Fiat 500L.
Ker majhnih avtomobilov ponavadi vrednost praktičnost v design, iskra je visok strehe in kolesa so bili potiska kot bližje konce. Ta mehanski nujnost plačuje dividende v prekladanje in notranji prostor, vendar vzroki Iskra videti nenavadno visok, ko si glavo.

Notranjost
Kot pri različici bencin, prednjih sedežev so ravno, trdno oblazinjena in nudijo malo ledveno podporo. Trde plastike na vratih, da za neprijeten kraj za počitek komolec, vendar je v centru za gonilnik samo oblazinjeni naslon za roke. To ni nič nenavadnega za compact avtomobile, ampak elektrifikacije omogoča nenavadno bedfellows in listov, poudarek EV in Fiat 500e so neposredne konkurence, da vsi ponujajo več udobja za voznika in sovoznika.
Zaradi ozko širino iskre, Chevy je a strogo štirje sedeži, polaganje na par za 500e vendar sopotnik zadaj Fit, listov in Focus. Bilo je presenetljivo enostavno položiti štiri visok odraslih v Iskra, opravilo, ki je težje v precej večji poudarek zaradi svoje nagnjena streha-line. Še vedno, bodo potniki bolj udobno v Honda Fit, ki ponuja nekoliko več prostora za štiri, sedenja za pet in več headroom vse obratno. Kljub podružnično zadnji sedež številke se povprečna, zaradi načina sedeža v listov večina ljudi bo našel Nissan roomier.
Kot pri večini plina EV pretvorbe, Iskra izgubi malo količina tovora v procesu spustite 2 kock za 9. 6 kubičnih metrov prostora za tovor. To je nekoliko večje kot v 500e, vendar daleč od podružnično prostorne 24 kubični čevelj plen. Za razliko od Fiat 500e pa GM se je odločil ni žrtvovanje potnikov nizkopodna prostora za akumulatorja.

Infotainment
Vse iskri EVs dobili isto touchscreen vodja enote, ki je neobvezno v avtu bencin. Postavitev sistemov je preprost, privlačno in intuitiven. Na dnu zaslona sedi vrstico dotik gumbov za moč, obseg in dom popek. Po enem tednu z Chevys sistem-razina sem zapustil začuden, zakaj ne more vsak GM avto imeti to software. Sistem ni višina modernosti v primerjavi z uConnect ali SINHRONIZACIJO. Ponuja integrirano Glasovni ukazi, integriran navigacijski software ali snazzy animacije. Te sisteme terjatve do slave je v svoji preprostosti in vključevanje v vaš pametni telefon.
Nekoč vi življati Android ali iPhone, seznanjene z MyLink si lahko glas ukaz vaš telefon, svoje melodije in nič na napravi z glas ukazni gumb na volanu. To pomeni, da mobilne storitve moj MyLink so omejeni na izbiro app na napravi. GM je sprejela še en korak, ki bi dobro, da bi kopirali drugih proizvajalcev: integriran navigacijski smartphone. Za 5 $ si lahko prenesete BringGo navigacijo app za vaš pametni telefon in MyLink sistem uporablja app predelovanje orodje in avtomobile prikazati kot uporabniški vmesnik. To vam daje velik in svetel zemljevid s kontrolniki, ki izgledajo kot standardni integrirani navigacijski sistem, skupaj s zmožnost v pre-disciplinski nadzornik naslove z uporabo app, preden boste dobili v avto.
V iskri EV na MyLink sistem obravnava tudi vehicle polnjenje nadzor. Izberete lahko zaračuna takoj, ob določenem času, ali lahko program vaše električne mere v sistem in imajo naboj avto, ko je najbolj ekonomično. Dobimo seveda tipičen sila merilnik pretoka, ki je že malo neumno v 21 stoletju in zaslon, ki prikazuje Kolikšen odstotek napolnjenosti akumulatorja, ki je bila uporabljena za vožnjo, ročna, ogrevanje/hlajenje in baterije naprave. Vožnjo svojega Spark, ali katero koli EV, v a Webb bo zmanjšati topniška jedinica življenje zaradi kabino, ogrevanje ter baterijo, ogrevanje.

Drivetrain
Kot s največ EVs na cesti moč, ki ga 3-fazni motor AC, ki je povezan z določeno hitrost zmanjšanje orodja. EVs nimajo prenosa v tradicionalnem smislu, da bi zmanjšali težo. Če želite iti povratne ste spin motor nazaj in če morate nevtralno preprosto prekinete motor električne pot. Izhodna moč je ocenjeno na 140 konjskih moči in navora, prihaja na ogromen 400 lb-ft (večina EV oblikovalci odločijo za elektronsko omejijo navor za zmanjšanje navora vola in izboljša življenjsko dobo akumulatorja.)
Moč napaja s 560lb, 21. 3 kWh litijevih baterij se nahaja, kjer je cisterna za plin je v bencinski prisilni. Kot pri Chevy Volt, GM je ob previdni pot za ohranjanje baterije opremljanje paket z aktivni ogrevalnih in hladilnih sistemih. Thats popolnem nasprotju z Nissan Leaf, ki uporablja pasivno hlajenje sistem. Hvala je najlažji teža v skupini (2, 989 lbs), Iskra rezultate, 82 milje obsega EPA in najvišjo oceno učinkovitosti vseh ev do danes. Glede na težo moje desno stopalo, svoj obseg realnih razlikovala od 70-100 milj.

Za vsako baterijo, toplote je sovražnik. Še posebej, ko polnjenje ali praznjenje hitro ali ko polnjenje v vročem podnebju v puščavi. Posledično bi predvideti, da vse stvari enake, Iskra, 500e in poudarek naj pa manj zmogljivosti izgubo in baterije propadajo sčasoma kot Pasivno hlajeni Nissan Leaf.
Velika novica za 2014 je svetova prvi izvajanje nove SAE DC hitro zaračunavanja priključek. Im malo raztrgana na ta zasuk v EV razvoj. Čeprav se strinjam, da combo priključek za DC je bolj logično in kompakten kot konkurenčnih CHAdeMO priključek najdete na Nissan listi in večina EVs na Japonskem, obstaja že več sto CHAdeMO postaj v ZDA in prav zdaj obstaja ena SAE postaje. Im je povedal, je verjetno, da bo adapter, tako da to naredi tri polnjenje standardi na voljo v ZDA. Za Nissan in Mitsubishi, enega za Tesla in enega za GM in BMW (na i3 bo ga uporabljajo tudi.)

Pogon
Največja stvar, pozabi ljudi, o EV ni polnjenje povezani, njegove vročine. Ko hočeš ogrevanje kabine v bencinski avto uporabljate odpadne energije za to. Če niste imeli Grelec, da toplote bi šele na koncu absorbira preko motorji radiator. Električni avtomobili proizvajajo malo toplote, ko teče in se zanašajo na odporen grelni elementi za ogrevanje kabine in električni klimatske naprave, da se ohladi kabini. Toplotne črpalke bi bilo bolj učinkovito, ker se premikajo toplote, namesto ustvarjanje toplote, vendar doslej Nissan Leaf (SV in višje) so samo proizvodnjo avtomobilov za sprejetje te tehnologije. V vremenu 50 stopinj na 60 milj potovanje skoraj 15 % porabljene energije šel v ogrevanje kabine iskre, na svoj način doma, ko pa 80 stopinj le 8 % energije je bil uporabljen za kul kabini.
Zaradi boljše teža ravnotežje vs bencin model in postopnih pnevmatike, 185/55 sprednji 195/55 zadaj, Iskra ročaji presenetljivo dobro. Mnogi so navedle, da je preprosto band-aid ukrep zaradi teže shift v avtu, ampak vseh virov, pokažite na prisilni EV še vedno težji v sprednji. To pomeni izbiro pnevmatik je bil verjetno velja za obravnavanje razlogov, ki ima smisel, ker Iskra bije za 500e v zabavno-kotu meritve. Dodatne teže has tudi izpopolniti vožnjo v majhna kombilimuzina, ki, čeprav je še vedno naletima na avtocesto kot veliko majhnih odprtinah, je veliko bolj gladko v EV trim. Krmiljenje je tog, vendar natančen, skupno pritožbo z EVs.
S 140 konjskih moči in 400lb0ft twist, preusmerjen prek prednjih koles, iskra je verjetno 2014 navora vola kralj. Je to slabo? Ne v moji knjigi. Učinka, zabavno in morda celo izziv za nadzor na gorske ceste navijanje. Konkurenco omejuje njihovo navora, izhod za zmanjšanje navora vola, ampak v tem, da zmanjšujejo zabavno faktor, kot tudi uspešnost, nekaj da res kaže v iskre 7. 08 drugi niz 60, zlasti hitreje od konkurence.
Kdaj je čas za zaustavitev Iskra prihaja do kratkih. Ustavljanje razdalje in pojemanje niso vprašanje, njegove počutim. Stopalka zavore je mehkejši kot povprečje in prehod med regenerativno zaviranje trenja je verjetno najrevnejših, razen sedanje generacije Honda Civic Hybrid. Ko sistem je v celoti v trenja, zaviranje način (če je baterija polna in boste spuščala) zavore se še bolj nejasna, ki zahtevajo več potovanja kakor kdaj sistem regeneracijo da bi dobili enak učinek.

Cenitev
Na $26,685, najcenejša EV na trgu, razen Mitsubishi i-MiEV. Za $27,010 2LT trim zamenjave sedežev krpo za Vještačka usnje in dodaja usnje zaviti volana. Thats o najhitrejši in najcenejši model hoditi v industriji. GM nam pove, da vrata hitro polnjenje DC je opcija neodvisni 750 $ in je ni mogoče naknadno za iskro dobavljeni brez njega. Iskra zniža Nissans listov s skoraj 2.000 $ in Fiat z več kot $5.000. Medtem ko lahko trdijo, da je Nissan listi je bolj praktično kot Iskra, kriči GMs agresivna cenovna politika vrednost na vsakem koraku, še posebej, če ste najem. V času naše posojilo GM nudila $199 najem posel na iskre, z 1.000 $ navzdol plus običajno razne pristojbine.
Sparks glavnih prodajnih predlog za mnoge je kot predstavljajo avto. Ko boste dejavnik za vse iskra je najcenejši način za pogon v Californias sredstva javnega prometa steze (veš, ni dejansko souporabo.) Kljub temu ni manj privlačne kot Fiat 500e, manj praktično kot Nissan listi in manj razkošne kot poudarkom EV, Id verjetno izbrali Iskra.

GM iz vozila, zavarovanje in en tank plina za ta pregledSpecifikacije kot preizkušen0-30: 2. 72 sekund
0-60: 7. 08 seconds 1/4 milje: 15. 78 sekundah @ 86 MPHPovprečju opaziti gospodarstvo: 4. 3 km/kWhNivo hrupa pri 50 MPH: 70dB

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Outside North America, this little blue pill of an A-segment car is known as the Daewoo Matiz Creative. It may look an obsolete computer peripheral (or a pregnant roller skate), but GM claims that the Chevrolet Spark has more torque than a Ferrari 458 Italia. As a self-described technology lover, and card-carrying resident of the Left Coast, I had to check it out.

The Spark EV starts its life in Changwon, South Korea where gasoline and electric sparks are built by GM Korea, which was once known as Daewoo. But the heart of the Spark comes from America. GM is building the permanent magnet motors in Maryland, and instead of LG batteries made in Korea (like the Volt) GM is using American-made batteries courtesy of B456 (formerly A123. Im not making this up). For reasons we dont understand, GM isnt doing a CODA and shipping cars sans-drivetran to America for assembly. The plant in Maryland ships the batteries and drivetrain to Korea, GM KoreaINSERTs it in the car and ships the completed unit back to the USA.
The Spark EV exists because of my home state of California. The California Air Resources Board has mandated that Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford, GM and Chrysler make a total of 7,500 zero emissions vehicles available for sale by 2014 and 25,000 by 2017. By 2025, this number is expected to rise tenfold.
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Exterior
Overall length slots the Chevy between the two-door Fiat 500e and the four-door Honda Fit EV but the small Chevy is narrower than both by a decent amount. Like the Fiat and other small cars, theres something cartoonish about the Spark that is endearing. Its all about proportions. The headlamps, tail lamps and grille are all fairly standard in size, but they are large in relation to the overall vehicle. The Spark isnt alone in this, the same thing can be said of the Mini Cooper, Fiat 500 and Fiat 500L.
Because small cars tend to value practicality in design, the Spark has a tall roofline and the wheels have been pushed as close to the four corners as possible. This mechanical necessity pays dividends in handling and interior space but causes the Spark to look unusually tall when viewed head-on.
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Interior
As with the gasoline version, the front seats are flat, firmly padded and offer little lumbar support. The hard plastics on the doors make for an uncomfortable place to rest your elbow, but there is a padded armrest in the center for the driver only. This isnt unusual for compact cars, but electrification makes for strange bedfellows and the Leaf, Focus EV and Fiat 500e are direct competition that all offer more driver and passenger comfort.
Because of the Sparks narrow width, the Chevy is a strict four-seater putting it on par with the 500e but one passenger behind the Fit, Leaf and Focus. It was surprisingly easy to put four tall adults in the Spark, a task that is more difficult in the considerably larger Focus because of its sloping roof-line. Still, passengers will be more comfortable in the Honda Fit which offers a bit more room for four, seating for five and more headroom all the way around. Despite the Leafs rear seat numbers being average, because of the way the seating position in the Leaf most people will find the Nissan roomier.
As with most gas to EV conversions, the Spark loses a bit of cargo volume in the process dropping 2 cubes to 9. 6 cubic feet of cargo space. Thats slightly larger than the 500e, but a long way from the Leafs spacious 24 cubic foot booty. Unlike the Fiat 500e however, GM chose not sacrifice passenger footwell space for battery storage.
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Infotainment
All Spark EVs get the same touchscreen head unit that is optional in the gasoline car. The systems layout is simple, attractive and intuitive. Along the bottom of the screen sits a row of touch buttons for power, volume and a home button. After a week with Chevys entry-level system I was left wondering why every GM car cant have this software. The system isnt the height of modernity compared to uConnect or SYNC. It does not offer integrated voice commands, integrated navigation software or snazzy animations. This systems claim to fame is in its simplicity and its integration with your smartphone.
Once you have an Android or iPhone paired with MyLink you can voice command your phone, your tunes, and anything on your device with the voice command button on the steering wheel. This means the mobile services provided my MyLink are limited to the app selection on your device. GM has taken another step that other manufacturers would do well to copy: integrated smartphone navigation. For $5 you can download the BringGo navigation app to your smartphone and the MyLink system will use the app as the processing engine and the cars display as the user interface. This gives you a large, bright map with controls that look like a standard integrated navigation system coupled with the ability to pre-program addresses using the app before you get into the car.
In the Spark EV the MyLink system also handles vehicle charging control. You can choose to charge immediately, at a specific time, or you can program your electrical rates into the system and have the car charge when it is most economical. We of course get the typical power flow meter which is getting a little silly in the 21st century and a display that shows what percentage of your battery was used for driving, cabin heating/cooling and battery conditioning. Driving your Spark, or any EV, in a polar vortex will reduce battery life due to both cabin heating and battery heating.
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Drivetrain
As with most EVs on the road power is delivered by a 3-phase AC motor connected to a fixed-speed reduction gear. EVs dont have a transmission in the traditional sense in order to reduce weight. If you want to go in reverse you spin the motor backwards and if you need neutral you simply disconnect the motor from the electrical path. Power output is rated at 140 horsepower and torque comes in at a whopping 400 lb-ft. (Most EV makers choose to electronically limit torque to reduce torque steer and improve battery life. )
Power is supplied by a 560lb, 21. 3 kWh lithium battery pack located where the gas tank is in the gasoline Spark. As with the Chevy Volt, GM is taking the cautious path to battery preservation equipping the pack with an active heating and cooling system. Thats a stark contrast to the Nissan Leaf which uses a passive cooling system. Thanks to the lightest curb weight in the group (2,989lbs), the Spark scores 82 miles of EPA range and the highest efficiency rating of any EV to date. Depending on the weight of my right foot, my real world range varied from 70-100 miles.
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For any battery, heat is the enemy. Especially when charging or discharging rapidly or when charging in hot desert climates. As a result I would anticipate that all things being equal, the Spark, 500e and Focus should suffer less capacity loss and battery degradation over time than the passively cooled Nissan Leaf.
The big news for 2014 is the worlds first implementation of the new SAE DC fast charging connector. Im a bit torn on this twist in EV development. While I agree that the DC combo connector is more logical and compact than the competing CHAdeMO connector found on the Nissan Leaf and most EVs in Japan, there are already several hundred CHAdeMO stations in the USA and right now there is one SAE station. Im told there is unlikely to be an adapter so this makes three charging standards on offer in the USA. One for Nissan and Mitsubishi, one for Tesla and one for GM and BMW (the i3 will use it as well. )
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Drive
The biggest thing people forget about an EV isnt charging related, its heat related. When you want to heat the cabin in a gasoline car you are using waste energy to do it. If you didnt have the heater on, that heat would just end up dissipating via the engines radiator. Electric cars produce little heat when running and rely on resistive heating elements to heat the cabin and an electric air conditioning to cool the cabin. Heat pumps would be more efficient because they move heat rather than creating heat but so far the Nissan Leaf (SV and higher) are the only production cars to adopt this tech. In 50 degree weather on a 60 mile journey nearly 15% of the energy consumed went into heating the Sparks cabin, while on my way home when it was 80 degrees only 8% of the energy was used to cool the cabin.
Thanks to a better weight balance vs the gasoline model and staggered tires, 185/55 front 195/55 rear, the Spark handles surprisingly well. Many have posited that this is simply a band-aid measure due to the weight shift in the car but all sources point to the Spark EV still being heavier in the front. This means the tire selection was likely done for handling reasons, which makes sense because the Spark beats the 500e in fun-to-corner metrics. The extra weight has also improved the ride in the small hatchback which, although still choppy on the freeway like many small hatches, it much smoother in EV trim. Steering is numb but accurate, a common complaint with EVs.
With 140 horsepower and 400lb0ft of twist routed through the front wheels, the Spark is probably the 2014 torque steer king. Is that bad? Not in my book. I found the effect amusing and perhaps even a challenge to control on winding mountain roads. The competition limits their torque output to reduce torque steer but in doing so they reduce the fun-factor as well as performance, something that really shows in the Sparks 7. 08 second run to 60, notably faster than the competition.
When it is time to stop the Spark comes up short. Stopping distances and fade arent the issue, its feel. The brake pedal is softer than average and the transition between regenerative and friction braking is probably the poorest, excluding the current generation Honda Civic Hybrid. When the system is entirely in friction braking mode (if the battery is full and you are going down hill) the brakes get even more vague, requiring more travel than when the system is regenerating to get the same effect.
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Pricing
At $26,685, the least expensive EV on the market excluding the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. For $27,010 the 2LT trim swaps cloth seats for leatherette and adds a leather wrapped steering wheel. Thats about the fastest and cheapest model walk in the industry. GM tells us that the DC quick charge port is an independent $750 option and it cannot be retrofitted to a Spark shipped without it. The Spark undercuts Nissans Leaf by nearly $2,000 and the Fiat by more than $5,000. While I might argue that the Nissan Leaf is more practical than the Spark, GMs aggressive pricing screams value at every turn, especially if you lease. At the time of our loan GM was offering a $199 lease deal on the Spark with $1,000 down plus the usual miscellaneous fees.
The Sparks main sales proposition for many is as a commuter car. When you factor in everything the Spark is the cheapest way to drive in Californias carpool lanes (you know, other than actually carpooling. ) Despite not being less attractive than a Fiat 500e, less practical than a Nissan Leaf and less luxurious than a Focus EV, Id probably pick the Spark.

GM provided the vehicle, insurance and one tank of gas for this reviewSpecifications as tested0-30: 2. 72 Seconds
0-60: 7. 08 Seconds 1/4 Mile: 15. 78 Seconds @ 86 MPHAverage observed economy: 4. 3 miles/kWhSound level at 50 MPH: 70dB

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