Chevrolet Spark EV

Here’s a car that puts it all together. It’s a total effort, a studied application of brain-power and enthusiasm that embraces the electric mandate with gusto and without a whiff of the-government-made-us reluctance. And this from none other than GM, the company that sued California over the EV mandate; that forever bears the mark of Cain for killing off its own pioneering electric, the EV1.

Everything about the Spark is all-in

Everything about the Spark is all-in. its cropped dimensions, along with its styling, fit the image of an EV but still manage to produce respectable and well-organized interior space. The interior is bristling with high-res display screens packed with energy info. And its husky electric motor is a deceptively simple yet potent design that technical editor K.C. Colwell dubbed “the 110-cube Harley V-twin of the EV world.” Colwell wishes readers to know about its hollow coaxial design, which routes one half-shaft directly through the motor; its low, 5500rpm redline; and its ripping, no-typo 400 pound-feet of torque.

The interior is bristling with high-res display screens packed with energy info

All of these attributes blend into a happy balance for zero-emissions driving. The 21.0-kWh battery is on the large side, while the car’s 2940-pound curb weight is on the light end, so frugal consumption produced our observed 66-mile range even as the monster motor, set in sport mode, delivered a 7.9-second goose to 60mph. That makes the Spark the quickest by more than half a second and, even more exceptionally in this group, a kick to drive. It zaps through traffic with notably eager steering and roll control and a hearty response from both the go and stop pedals.

The 21.0-kWh battery is on the large side, while the car’s 2940-pound curb weight is on the light end

The Spark is cheap-chic inside, with lightning strikes of body-color accents (five paint colors are offered if electric blue isn’t your flavor) and a motorcycle-like stand-up cluster on the column that packs a high-res and vividly colored display. Another in the dash conveys even more data about your energy supply and consumption. A lot of the pages look borrowed from the Volt, especially the transparent beaker of green goo that Chevy uses to graphically represent battery-charge state.

The Spark is cheap-chic inside, with lightning strikes of body-color accents and a motorcycle-like stand-up cluster on the column that packs a high-res and vividly colored display

In-dash navigation is only available as a pricey smartphone app that syncs to the console screen. To find the closest charging points, you’ll have to rely on your smartphone. Also, we wish the onboard charger’s capacity, at 3.3 kW, were as mighty as the 6.6ers in four of the test’s cars (only the Smart has the same 3.3-kW capacity). To get the test done, which took two complete recharges, the Spark spent more than 12 hours sucking the cord of our Level 2 charger, versus 6.5 for the Focus. Only the Fiat spent more time plugged in, at almost 14 hours.

Yet, for EV drivers who will use it for city commutes and recharge at night, the Spark has ample range. It is the one gold the sparkles.