GM's Chevy Spark EV gets double Volt's electric driving range

The Chevrolet Spark all-electric subcompact car will be able to travel about twice as far on an electric charge as the plug-in hybrid Volt car can go before its gasoline engine kicks in, General Motors Co said on Wednesday.

The 2014 Spark EV, which goes on sale this summer in California and Oregon, has a combined city/highway range of 82 miles when fully charged as estimated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Volt gets about 40 miles on an electric charge before the gasoline engine takes over.

GM has said it aims by 2017 to build up to 500,000 vehicles a year that include some form of electric power in the engine, including cars like the Spark EV, the Volt and gasoline-powered vehicles with the U.S. automaker's eAssist system that boosts fuel efficiency.

The Spark EV's fuel economy is equivalent to 119 miles per gallon on an EPA-estimated combined city/highway basis, GM said. Chief Executive Dan Akerson said last month the Spark EV's electric driving range would be 75 to 80 miles on a single charge.

GM has not set the price on the Spark EV other than to say it will cost less than $25,000 after accounting for a $7,500 federal tax credit.

The Spark EV will include the option for a DC fast charger that allows it to recharge up to 80 percent of its capacity in about 20 minutes. Charging can also be completed in less than seven hours using a dedicated 240-volt charging station. Spark owners will be able to use a voucher to obtain the charging station at no additional cost, but installation will not be included.

The Spark EV comes standard with a 120-volt charge cord set, which can fully charge the car in about 18 hours. GM has said the 120-volt charge cord is more of a back-up, travel charger. The Spark EV's lithium-ion battery pack has a eight-year or 100,000-mile warranty.

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