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I am likely going to pull the trigger on a Spark EV soon, and am looking for any angles I'm missing on whether or not it's a good purchase. You can enjoy this exciting human drama backstory, or jump right to the details further below! I drove an FR-S and loved it, but my Model 3 (with still-attached bumper) finally arrived. Originally I was going to do this grand thing where I presented it to my wife who drives a gas guzzling minivan while I kept the FR-S which I love(d). My wife however reacted with "meh" so I said FINE I'LL DRIVE THE TESLA to which she also replied "meh" and is now driving my FR-S because it's better MPG than the minivan (which we're keeping). However after observing how much we are saving on "fuel" now, I started moving math numbers around in my head and thought maybe it's time to trade in the FR-S to get something cheaper, more practical, better MPG, etc., since the grandeur of the poor-man's sports car is lost on her. To which she said something like "But I like how I can actually pass cars on the freeway now." I of course think this is a smoke screen, and that she actually enjoys driving a car that looks awesome, to which she replies "meh". So I set out to find a car that would essentially be in the price range of what I could trade/sell the FR-S for, that also fits her one criteria, and I stumble across the Spark EV, some for as low as $8k! They both have four seats, but the EV has larger seats with four doors. The Spark EV is apparently also fun to drive and has a slightly better 0-60 than the FR-S. This fits my wife's single criteria while adding more practicality and convenience in terms of car shape/storage. We also have three kids, but we'd use the van or tesla if we went out as a full family, and nothing would be changed from the FR-S anyway. So at this point I'm looking for something better or something I may be missing. Thoughts? What is a recommended alternate to this purchase for my wife or I to tootle around town, thereby expunging another planet-killing gas thing from my home? 2015 Spark EV 2LT (~82 mile range) Price is ~$11,000 7000 odometer Has the DC fast charging CCS/SAE Looks to be in great shape, it's a completed lease. I verified with Chevy that although they aren't sold here, they do service them locally and I'd maybe buy an extended warranty from a dealership for about $1000 just to be safe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP7hteLa_x0 (quick overview) OldPueblo fucked around with this message at 22:22 on Aug 13, 2018 |
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Aug 13, 2018 22:15
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RZA Encryption posted:2014 Spark EV owner here. I'm biased, but I say go for it. I think the 2014 is the only one that had the 400 lb-ft of torque, but I'm sure the 15s and 16s are plenty peppy. Yeah the 2015 is 327 but received better batteries and weight reduction I believe. https://www.torquenews.com/2250/2015-chevy-spark-ev-gets-battery-overhaul-after-only-year-market I remember looking into the leaf a bit but came out of that research that the Spark had better batteries or cooling, or at least the 2016 Leaf's had a slower 0-60. I've compressed a ton of research into a short amount of time, so I wish I'd kept better notes. One concern I have is how do I check to see what the battery degradation would be. I mean it has only 7000 on the odometer, but could the batteries degrade by just sitting there over the years? Is it time or more movement based? I'd assume it's related to usage, but I'm no electrician!
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Aug 13, 2018 23:04
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:if your wife likes driving a FR-S why not... let her keep driving the FR-S I guess I didn't explain it well. It's not that she liked driving the FR-S, she just liked driving something faster than the minivan. Otherwise she doesn't like the cramped back seats, two doors, low visibility, etc. It was just a step up "quick-wise" from the van.
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Aug 14, 2018 04:16
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Deteriorata posted:What's the rush? Why do you have to by this Spark right now? I guess I feel that it's such a great deal that they will disappear. I mean look at that price for that odometer. They aren't being made anymore and I live in Arizona where they weren't even sold. Because the FR-S was my car and I was the only one that really loved it, and I no longer drive it, why not get rid of it when the Spark EV seems to be better in every way for what my wife wants. Just makes sense, and my post here was really the end of that research. Thanks though!
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Aug 14, 2018 04:42
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:as a wife haver i just want to make sure that your wife has driven the car and it meets her needs and she likes it, i have been big time owned by this before Having also been burned by this, I made sure she test drove it and had final say. She liked it, we're waiting on a tail light blemish to be fixed. Also we'll likely be trading off between the two EVs based upon who's driving where or needs what capacity.
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Aug 14, 2018 16:11
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lostleaf posted:I'm looking into idea of an used small cheap EV. Does anyone have experience with the Fiat 500e? They're even cheaper than spark and leaf here in Norcal. Having just gone through this decision, the reasons I went with the Spark were related to two more doors, more room/practicality, faster charging options, and the torque for fun factor.  Also if you want to trial the Onstar stuff, I could see some of that being useful for my wife (phone app to pre-cool, etc). I think at least in my mind, the only edge the Fiat had was looks and cool factor.
OldPueblo fucked around with this message at 23:49 on Aug 17, 2018 |
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Aug 17, 2018 23:44
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Not gonna lie, sometimes when I have to go somewhere I jump in the Spark instead of the Model 3. I just love driving "zesty" small/light cars, maybe I'm just missing the FR-S. Tesla just needs to produce cheap shorter range cars that millennials (or whatever the term is these days) can toss around the city. Something like all those other "failed" attempts to mass produce the three-wheel gas commuter cars (Elio for example). Everything doesn't have to be awesome. My philosophy is either pay extra and get exactly what you want, or swing completely the other way and get something cheap and enjoy the fact that you saved a bunch of money. In the middle is where you don't get either and are sad.
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Aug 21, 2018 06:33
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ratbert90 posted:I ordered... 3 months ago? It wasn't too bad. Make sure they have it charged up, surprisingly mine was lower than 1/2 when I went to pick it up, which I noticed when they were giving the tour. I asked him to plug it in while we did paperwork and other stuff, I'm surprised he didn't offer.
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Sep 25, 2018 20:12
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RZA Encryption posted:You can usually find Spark EVs for $10k or less. 70-75 mile range (82 originally) I second this. I love driving my wife's Spark EV when she needs the Model 3 for more people/cargo room. It's a fun car to rip around town. And they can do DC fast charging if you need to juice it up quick (make sure it has the option). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_k9mRYjj1w
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Sep 26, 2018 06:42
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There are probably all sorts of reasons why this is a bad idea, but hypothetically is there any kind of system or equipment that's generally accessible that would allow you to charge a customer for charging their EV from your house? There's a place I go semi-regularly that has no public EV charging infrastructure in the entire small town area (except unfriendly RV places I'm told), so it makes me want to say to family in that area "set up a charger where it's accessible from the outside and a stranger can slide a card and charge", etc. Or of course just pay a couple bucks and you open your garage or something. Potential win-win.
OldPueblo fucked around with this message at 21:10 on Oct 15, 2018 |
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Oct 15, 2018 19:31
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Speaking of switching from gas to EVs, we have a Model 3, Spark EV, and a horrible Earth destroying gas minivan.  Everyone fits in a five seater and we're very seriously considering selling the minivan because it sits unused now. The Model 3 covers any road trip locations we've had. I'm trying to think of any reason we'd want to hang on to a gas vehicle. I have weird thoughts like if gas prices skyrocket or becomes scarce then it doesn't affect us. If electricity goes away, well then it's the apocalypse and we're all screwed anyway. Any non-obvious reason to hang on to a gas vehicle?
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Jan 8, 2019 07:42
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And now for something different. I yelled SNACK RUN, my three kids and I jumped into the Spark EV, drove down the street to the corner store, bought a bunch of terrible fatty snacks, then came out to a non-starting car. ODBII reader threw what looks to be a TSB about non-starting (fault code p0c78), so looks like it's getting towed by Onstar to the dealership tomorrow where I luckily bought an extended warranty. Thanks Elon.  We then had an enjoyable brisk 10 minute walk home that was immediately erased by said terrible snacks. I'm curious to see if it's the one fear I had with the Chevy Spark EV. Not enough out there to have parts handy, so I may have to let it sit at the dealership if it requires a part. Stay tuned.
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Feb 6, 2019 08:09
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This may not be it, but some places are crying fowl that EV's don't do their fare share participating in gas taxes that do things like keep up roads and other infrastructure. So they are "taxing" EVs to equal it out. Because taxing ten thousand little things is easier than just fixing financial corruption/inefficiencies! Edit: EFB. So I'll go on to say they do this with solar as well. You try to crawl out of the bucket, and the other crabs just pull you down again.
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Mar 8, 2019 00:04
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Ola posted:Same here. They are crying fowl like I don't want to derail so I'll leave it at this. I guess I just feel like its all band-aid taxation to do a gas (or similar) tax, instead of a correction at a higher level where the corruption tends to sit. It's like if my family needs more money, I start with being more efficient at the parent paycheck/bills/assets level, rather than looking at my teenagers and their hobbies and taxing those to generate more income. Then if one gets a job which drains less money from me, I create an additional tax for him when really I just need to be better with money. I'm also bad at analogies. OldPueblo fucked around with this message at 00:28 on Mar 8, 2019 |
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Mar 8, 2019 00:25
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I have a 5 person family, but there are plenty of times I could use an extra two seats for short'ish trips with friends/extended family. I just hope you can put a standard size adult in there (unlike the S reverse seats), even if they won't be comfortable.
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Apr 28, 2019 22:41
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Having come from a Scion FR-S where I regularly (not often but consistently) put teens and adults in the second row, third row is totally fine for the few times it'll get used. Better to have it than not. As of now, what does it cost to get 7 equivalent seats in a different EV? It's like people can't break from the mentality of "Each seat must be comfortable for a big adult on a four hour trip minimum". What do you think they are claiming exactly? I rode in the trunk several times as a teen when there were no more seats, this is an upgrade!
OldPueblo fucked around with this message at 21:24 on May 1, 2019 |
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May 1, 2019 21:22
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wolrah posted:How? I'm 6'1 190 lbs, and I've sat back there fine. The thing is a lot of people make the same mistake, which is thinking the front seats shouldn't compromise at all, and people in the back seat need to know how to sit in the optimal way. Both front seats move all the way forward, people get in the back and plant their feet flat, the seats slide backwards over the feet as far as they can reasonably go without squashing the feet, and you sit with your knees spread to the sides of the seat, not directly pointed into the back of the seat. Yes this does mean the front seats may be more forward than their perfect setting, but it's absolutely doable if needed. And that's the point. I'd rather have the option for when it's needed, than not at all. Pro-tip, sitting further forward in the Scibuta makes you feel like you're driving a golf cart. 
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May 6, 2019 06:03
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RZA Encryption posted:Just installed a backup camera in my Spark EV! I've never done anything like that before. It took me all day, on and off, how they work! I bought a camera months ago and then haven't gotten around to learning how to do it. Luckily I now have you to PM me step by step instructions with parts lists, pictures, and diagrams! (please  )
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Jun 5, 2019 07:42
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As others have said, I would caution against not having the ability to charge up fast and go long range with little warning. If you still have an ICE car as a backup then it probably doesn't matter. I have two EVs and no gas car. I once had to drive 5 hours in a morning unplanned, then later in the day another 1.5 hours. Without the ability to charge up fast I would have been in trouble. My model 3 charges at home at 48 miles per hour, and my chevy spark EV can go juice up at the mall 5 minutes away and be full in 20 minutes. If you have a supercharger or some other type of L3 charger nearby that fits your EV, then you're good. Basically charging for short trips and commutes is fine, just be sure you have a "I need to go hundreds of miles at the drop of a hat for emergencies" plan.
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Jun 25, 2019 07:47
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Tire MPG calculations always seemed funny to me, when flooring it at one light probably undoes a weeks worth of "reclaimed MPG". Also I made up that projection.
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Jun 25, 2019 19:51
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A Strange Aeon posted:My wife and I recently bought a used PHEV 2018 Ioniq and have really come to love it. It gets around 27 miles on a charge and we bought a Siemens L2 charger for our garage, which has made it very convenient to always have the full range. We carpool together to downtown Pittsburgh three times a week and the other two days I drive my 2001 Saturn. Other than a trip up to Michigan where we needed to get gas, we've only used the electric range locally, or used so little gas that we've not needed to fill up the tank for months. It's really easy to overlook this one since it was only available in California and Oregon originally. https://www.edmunds.com/used-chevrolet-spark-ev-pittsburgh-pa/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXa8JqwVGy4 https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/spark-ev-world-record/ I've loved ours and someone else in this thread has one as well, so hit us with your questions. If you take an odbii reader to the dealership you can check the actual remaining battery, because what you see on the battery meter is modified by the previous drivers habits. Also I'd be sure to get one with the L3 charging that takes you to 80% in 15 minutes. There are a few quirks like on the freeway its most efficient speed is 60 and under if you want to maximize range (more covered in the youtube video). I'll edit more in as I think of them. Overall it's been a great buy for the price we paid (around $11k). Edit: Replayed the video while I'm working and I guess that guy bought his car in Maryland. Looks like there's a comment from him as of three days ago as well where he still "really likes it". Maybe hit him up with questions. OldPueblo fucked around with this message at 07:55 on Jul 8, 2019 |
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Jul 8, 2019 07:06
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A Strange Aeon posted:Thanks for the advice, I foolishly removed a line in my original post about our 2 year old daughter which looking at your suggestions should have been front and center! The spark has two rear doors. As for a car seat, I know I saw one in a review long ago, just don't recall which. I'm sure there's plenty of pictures showing one, but here's mine without one. First showing rear door access with seats in normal position. Next two is front seat all the way forward and leg room behind.    As for difference in year models. I do know they changed the battery tech in 2015 which gave it a little less torque but maintained the power somehow (I don't recall, I just had the impression that it was better than 2014).
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Jul 8, 2019 19:09
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Agreed. A great reveal with only one small flaw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXFHgoon7lg&t=49s 
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Jul 23, 2019 17:53
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Shamino posted:Am I a big dummy for considering a model x right now that they've readded free supercharging? Is a redesign around the corner? I guess it depends on how much you'd be driving long distance and using the superchargers. In a year of ownership I've only racked up $136 in supercharging costs, but I charge mostly at home.
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Aug 6, 2019 06:35
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Counterpoint. My Model 3 didn't fart when I first got it, but now it does. 
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Sep 18, 2019 23:08
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My parents are wanting to dip their toe into owning an EV for an around-town car and their budget is about $11k. They both have Chevy Sonic's and it looks like a used e-Golf is a good fit for them since the Chevy Spark EV is a step-down in size. I'm trying to find a good comparison though, because I'm seeing things like the e-Golf is slower and doesn't have thermal protection for the battery (we're in AZ). I also have no experience with the VW phone app, which I hear is terrible lately. Any thoughts would be appreciated as I look more into this. Is there an EV database anywhere with in-depth comparisons on specs?
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Nov 15, 2019 07:00
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OldPueblo posted:My parents are wanting to dip their toe into owning an EV for an around-town car and their budget is about $11k. They both have Chevy Sonic's and it looks like a used e-Golf is a good fit for them since the Chevy Spark EV is a step-down in size. I'm trying to find a good comparison though, because I'm seeing things like the e-Golf is slower and doesn't have thermal protection for the battery (we're in AZ). I also have no experience with the VW phone app, which I hear is terrible lately. Any thoughts would be appreciated as I look more into this. Is there an EV database anywhere with in-depth comparisons on specs? Kia Soul EV? I'm really just looking for the gotchas, the fact that the e-Golf didn't have a thermally protected battery mentioned in any review that I saw makes me wonder what other types of info research needs to uncover. For example is chademo on the downward trend, is the J1772 DC charging more prevalent, etc. OldPueblo fucked around with this message at 22:23 on Nov 15, 2019 |
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Nov 15, 2019 22:20
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Trip report. So I pulled the trigger on a 2016 Kia Soul EV+ ($13.5k), and I have to say it's a pretty great EV (I have a Model 3 and Spark EV for comparison). Having two complete opposite EVs, it's nice to find one that sits squarely in the middle in terms of comforts, space, and tech. The clincher was I plugged in an ODBII reader at the dealership to get a true reading on the battery state of health. It showed 105%, and 110% is considered new, so I surmised that the battery had been replaced. A quick call to the Kia dealership listed on the carfax confirmed it, so with my first charge I'm sitting at 107 miles on the range guesser. Here's the best part! After all the research I did, I still missed two important things that are a let-down now that I'm starting to use it. #1 You can't precondition the car from the app unless it's plugged in.  (even the spark does that). The app clearly showed it as an option (minus the caveat) and it was one of my prerequisites due to living in AZ. It also seems I can't locate the car unless I first turn on a "parking minder" when I'm in the car, because it's a glorified parking spot finder. So the ability to spy on my teens is lessened and I'll have to hide in bushes like parents of the past. Basically don't trust Internet pictures of EV apps.#2 I read that it's "actively cooled", but the battery isn't as protected thermally as I'd originally hoped. It's a step above the air-cooled leaf because it heats and cools the battery using the air from the cabin via some vents under the seats. So in hot weather it gets the AC benefit from the cabin, and in cold weather it gets heat since you'd naturally have the heat on. The problem is when you arrive at work and it then sits for 8 hours in a parking lot with no thermal management that I'm aware of. There is a battery fan under the back cargo area, but I don't know what scenarios cause it to activate. Regardless, still much more enjoyable to drive than the Spark EV in every way (except 0-60). It'll be interesting to see if the battery eventually drops farther than the liquid cooled Spark battery in the coming years, but it has 7 years and 65k miles left on the battery specific warranty, and my use case is to be a short range car anyway. So basically when you're done researching, double your research. OldPueblo fucked around with this message at 19:02 on Nov 20, 2019 |
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Nov 20, 2019 18:30
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Design Team: Elon we need this truck to do X,Y,Z to succeed. Elon: Okay, but what if we go all in on this Blade Runner date coincidence instead? Honestly, not being a truck guy, I may prefer it to the Y since I'm down with unique. drat though.
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Nov 22, 2019 07:04
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Godholio posted:I'm 6'1" and there are trucks in stock trim that have bed-sides up to my armpits. Any reason adding a step to the side of the bed wouldn't just be an easy fix?
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Nov 26, 2019 07:16
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Applebees Appetizer posted:Yeah right now I'm viewing the Bolt as an electric hot hatch. Would like to drive one soon to see how it handles. There is only one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SomMQzC1Yg
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Nov 28, 2019 23:25
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Applebees Appetizer posted:It's an issue where the regen doesn't work either, complete power assist failure. The parts alone to fix it are over $2k. I'm not generally disagreeing with you, but since when did a dealership need an excuse to rake people over the coals? Every experience I've had with a mechanic shop or dealership is they'll take you for what they can. I will add some anecdotal evidence that my Spark EV wouldn't start one day randomly. Towing was covered, not sure if it was OnStar membership or extended warranty, and then it was $100 deductible to get it fixed. It was an electrical part not a typical part. Technically with less maintenance required compared to an ice vehicle, you could end up saving in the long run. Take that for what it's worth. OldPueblo fucked around with this message at 00:02 on Dec 1, 2019 |
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Nov 30, 2019 21:54
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Red_Fred posted:Are you being facetious about leaving your car idling for 2 hours? Do you turn off your cell phone/tablet/laptop whenever you aren't using it, or do you let it "idle"? This is the future man, we ALWAYS on! All jokes aside, I live in AZ and its been great just leaving AC on often.
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Dec 2, 2019 04:01
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Red_Fred posted:The UK recently introduced a fining system for people who unnecessarily leave their vehicles idling. That's just it, Electric vehicles don't "idle", hence the joke. I'd be very surprised if this applies to electric vehicles since the intent is to curb emissions.
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Dec 2, 2019 06:23
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The 2016 Soul EV has a pre-heat/cool scheduler IF it's plugged in, but since I work at home mostly I don't use it and haven't tested it. I also can't vouch for other years because I've heard they removed the 80% charge option in later cars. Having a Spark EV as well (I'm not sure if this is true of the Bolt and Volt but I believe they use the same Onstar app), the app lets you turn on preconditioning but it doesn't let you set the temperature remotely. So it basically preconditions to whatever you already had it set to in the cabin. OldPueblo fucked around with this message at 17:20 on Dec 3, 2019 |
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Dec 3, 2019 17:17
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A Strange Aeon posted:This is probably a dumb question, but can a non Tesla use a Tesla charger? I'm assuming not, but my question is why not? Couldn't there be an adapter or something? Something about this statement may have changed, but I don't believe anyone can use the superchargers except Tesla. However you can use destination chargers with an adapter like the one below. I use it to charge my non-teslas on my wall connector at home. http://www.umc-j1772.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=50
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Dec 3, 2019 17:22
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Elviscat posted:....The Leafs I'm looking at are about $14k-16k, they come with a 7yr/100,000mi warranty from Nissan, is there any reason anyone can see that I shouldn't pull the trigger on one of these, or that I should go with another EV besides the 2016-2017 Leaf? Having not done the work, I'd say see how a 16/17 Kia Soul EV compares. They seem very comparable, but you may prefer various features/dimensions. I don't know if a 16/17 Leaf still uses a passive thermally managed battery, the Soul at least is heated/cooled via the temp in the cabin. There's a couple comparison videos on youtube.
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Dec 7, 2019 17:55
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Elviscat posted:Thanks for all the replies! That's rational. I will say however that it could still meet yours (or others) criteria. For example I just bought a used 2016 Soul EV for $14k total (43k miles), in Arizona where it was never sold. There is a Kia dealership in my metro area certified to work on the EV version (I called around to verify, like you say this is important), so I know I'm covered in the event of an issue. Though I bought it used I found out they had just replaced the battery, and regardless of that the EV components are still covered under original warranty until Nov 2026, so still a long warranty. I can buy an extended if I'm worried, was already quoted $1600. Not trying to persuade you so much as help everyone see available options. I honestly feel that now is the time for everyone to shoot for having a gas vehicle for road trips, and an EV for around town. This increases EV adoption rate while still allowing people to road trip easily. The used EV market is getting flooded by low cost lease returns, and people are snatching them up. It's awesome and can help with chicken/egg adoption. Elviscat posted:I should probably shut the gently caress up and test drive some cars, huh? Absolutely. Per my earlier post a few pages back, no amount of research uncovers all the stuff you want/need to know. Test drives are good for that. 
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Dec 7, 2019 22:47
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raej posted:I'm looking to get a "beater" EV for under $20k to replace my gas guzzling Audi A8L. I drive ~25 miles each way to work Wed-Fri and do some light going around to pick up the kiddo. I feel like I'm over-advocating for the used Soul EV at this point, but it has all of those things (even cooled seats, just get the EV+ trim). I was actually looking at i3's until I discovered the Soul EV existed. Mine actually didn't come with Android Auto, but I found the firmware online and upgraded to it myself. https://www.mykiasoulev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=832&p=10177#p10177
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Dec 9, 2019 23:26
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taqueso posted:How much power does it take to keep an EV cabin heated on a cold day? I know that's vague, a vague answer is fine, I'd just like to get a rough idea. This is dependant on the EV. Some have a heat pump that works great, some have to artificially create it which is inefficient, and some of them have heated seats/steering wheel that many opt to use instead of heating the entire cabin.
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Dec 20, 2019 00:52
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