What's up guys, if for some crazy reason I am the one who helped you make the change to an EV .... AND you decided to go with a new Tesla.... well, I have a referral code you can use to get some sort of perk when you buy it (perks constantly changing). I get some kickback from Tesla too. Here it is: ts.la/jonathan33053 . If you decide to go with a new Tesla and i am NOT the one who persuaded you but another person who is actively engaging online to educate you about Tesla did, ask them if they have a referral code. If they are an owner they will have one. As for Nissan, I've got no sort of perk plan I could help you with. Same with Chevy, I got nothing. The Leaf and the Spark EV are still all over the used market and very much worth it when it comes to low cost EVs. Also, tesla.com/used is a source for used Tesla vehicles with a warranty. We are currently in the early stages of that experience and i plan to make a video regarding it soon (bought and received the car but there are issues being worked out). I will add any EV related videos to my EV playlist. Finally, I recommend autotrader.com for looking for used EVs in the US. Keep on charging!
I own a 2014 Spark EV as well as a 2017 Bolt EV. I love them both. The Bolt obviously has some things that are better, but the sheer power to weight ratio of the Spark always keeps me coming back for more.
The jittery feeling in steering when you give it the beans is called "torque steer". I was hacking the Volt/Spark and took a break (sad story)... learned a lot. The reason the range gauge is so accurate is because you're limited to the middle of the HV pack by GM. Along with a russian dude we discovered developer mode and found the whole center console runs windows ce. (i installed winamp because it really whips the llamas ass). We released what we found in the decompiled code. More can be found by googling "chevy 20110827". Fun review, keep it up.
I know I'm a little late to the comment party for this video but thanks for it as it helped me to follow through and purchase a 2016 Spark EV 9mos ago. Now with some ownership time I can say your review was pretty spot on. This car is great! As a retired guy this car fits my needs perfectly, however, my only gripe is I enjoy it so much my 2004 GTO is not getting much love lately. My car is a 2LT and one thing that is a surprising pro is how easy it is to clean the seats after a trip to the dog park and muddy paws.
Awesome review! I own a 2014 Spark EV which has the full 400 ft-lbs of torque. Very quick is an understatement. I've accumulated 22,000 miles on it. I love this car more than any car I've ever owned. I've seen every review there is about this car on RU-vid and your review Is the best one to date. Yeah, sure it's not the most technical. There's a lot of people out there that don't want to hear about all the technical's. What I got from your review was that the car was cheap to operate and FUN TO DRIVE! Your narration was so entertaining. Very funny at times. Thanks for what you do and keep it up. I'm now a lifetime subscriber.
Chris Zeitvogel thanks for the good words! Of all the reviews that dive into the technical stuff... They never take shots of what's under the hood. Crazy huh? Glad to see another spark EV owner out there!
The active liquid-cooled battery seems like a much better idea than passive air-cooled LEAF. Why Nissan did not add this to new LEAF is baffling. I'd rather pay a little more to have it, especially for multiple fast charge road trips.
+RVA Andy yeah... they cool the fluid using the AC system too... as for the new leaf... i think they are just thinking on the volume with the manufacturing and that no active cooling saves them a large amount of money vs. the opposite. Im absolutely loving the spark... my wife prefers it too in many instances. Its fun to drive. Also, the spark battery heats up too. I see the temp go from freezing ish to high 40s Low 50s when its plugged in during preconditioning. 110 or 220. My leaf has a heater but it doesnt kick in till really low temps.
A couple of days ago, I learned from Bjorn Nyland's channel (Tesla Bjorn), that the Nissan ENV200 (minivan that shares most LEAF components) actually has active air cooling (akin to Kia Soul, Hyundai Ioniq, Mit IMIEV, etc)! I'm "guessing" that due to larger vehicle weight and capacity, they had no choice. Very interested to know the impact on degradation. There's a guy in the UK who has a channel (Ian Simpson), who has a LEAF leased and an ENV200 who might be a good resource for this....
Correction, Ian Sampson is his name. Also, I believe, there is an American Expat(?) living in Japan (YT Channel: ElectricJourneys Japan), that owns a first gen LEAF and ENV200, and has a ~2 hours of test driving video content with the 2018 Leaf. It's good stuff if you're interested or have little to no life like me ;)
I refuse to buy another EV without active cooling for that reason. I was spoiled by my Spark EV as my first EV. When I bought a used Nissan it was a nightmare in my triple digit heat out here.
I own a 2015 Spark EV and I thought this review was awesome! Very accurate, both on the pros and cons! I wish this review was around when I was deciding to buy this car because it literally covers everything. I love my Spark EV! Just wanted to let you know that I think this review rocks.
Thanks for that. I did not lightly say that in the beginning of the review. It's a challenge more than anything. I think of Doug got a hold of one of these cars he would kill it tho... So just don't tell Doug. Yeah :)
I have a 17 Bolt EV. I prefer the more colorful display and I am disappointed Chevy has not put that style into their other vechiles. I really like the spark EV especially after this review and I think we will be getting a Used spark EV for our second car to replace our aging 95 Civic. I find that I only drive 40-60 miles a normal day in average and only have to charge twice a week. That's plenty of empty charger time so both cars can share the same charger. Thank you for your good review.
Hey man just got my 2016 spark EV same color as yours, I love it! But I have some issues with it I wanted to ask you about, first of all when I charged it fully through DC fast charging it got to 100% and all but the range is only 77 miles, it is supposed to go up to 82 but this seems very low even for a used car, it is 3 years old with 25 K miles on it used, is this decreased range normal for those specs? Also the speedometer screen turned off mid drive once out of nowhere! That was scary, you couldn't see your speed or range or anything, has this ever happened to u and do you know how to fix it? The battery was not low or anything, it just happened randomly once and haven't happened since.
Gratz! As for the miles reading, it jumps around based on your driving habits. Mine says 58 to 60 miles on a full charge because it's winter and I use the heat a lot. The radio turned off on me once. That was it. Summer time will have your range increase. When sitting for long periods, don't have the car in a fully charged state and your battery will likely last longer/degrade slower. For instance, mine is at about 75 percent. I have depart charge time set and will leave right when it is done in the morning. The car has almost 19k miles. As for degradation, 77 is very good when compared to a Nissan leaf. Tesla is the only company vi know that keeps the EPA estimate on the screen readout (if you have 'rated' selected). They are really good at EVs. The spark tho, I still have mine and plan on keeping it a LONG time. Stick around. I will have a hitch video coming out soon. Gratz again!
Thanks for the good words :) 2016 and I'm loving it! Dude.... Yeah. Go test drive one for fun. It will be hilarious. Stupid fast. The other day a tundra was wide open and couldn't pull away or ahead untill I let off (speeding is not good you know). They just don't see it coming :D
Great review! your review actually changed my mind, was going to wait and get a Electra Meccanica: SOLO $16,250 MSRP, but your review changed my mind and got me to purchased a 2016 Chevy Spark EV. I got it from a local dealership too, a small dealership. It wasn't that expensive either. It had 23,300 miles on it. It is a black Spark EV. which looks great in that color, IMO. Great interior too, the gray inside mix with black is a nice touch. In all, I am happy with the purchase. The "SOLO" is a fun ride, test drove it too, but the whole thing of it only having 1 seat and costing over $16K, basically $18,000 after taxes and registration fee and other dealerships added stuff, It pretty much would've been a bad buy. I got the 2016 Spark EV for around $10,300...and with a $2000 down. My monthly payment for the EV is nothing! especially since I am saving lots of money on gas. There are also free charging stations near my place, one of them is close to a library. I can just park there, for 4 free hours of charging, and just do work there and relax. I am very happy. :) The Solo is still a nice fun ride, but I think the price should be a lot lower. I think people will buy it just to that looks from others, and to pretty much collect it as a very interesting looking car. Oh well! thanks for the review.
Thanks for the good words. Glad you liked it. I hope you get to drive one of the electric no ones at least once. It will make you laugh quite a bit because the power in some cases is too much. It's really quick and fun.
Most excellent video! You talk about the real, everyday stuff people experience with their cars, not super techno talk. I just picked up a silver ‘15 with the DC fast charge option. Just came off lease for under $10K with 18K miles. This is a second car for commuting. I too was putting too many miles on my main car, a ‘17 CT6 Plug-in, so she’ll be parked for the weekends while the Spark does the heavy hauling.
Gratz! In a few months you will be considering swapping the Audi for a used Tesla model S... Mark my words man.... It's a thing. Tesla.com/used . EVs are so much more convenient 95% of the time and you will become addicted (given you have the ability to charge at home). Wife and I are talking bout selling the LEAF and getting a used S. Getting rid of the motorhome too ... It's crazy what an EV will do to your perception about cars over time. Welcome to the club!
Thank you for the light-hearted and detailed review. It was most enjoyable and informative. We're going to test drive one today so this vid is great for perspective. Keep up with the outstanding reviews!
I bought new 2018, Chevrolet Spark LS, Gas Engine. I believe around 39 MPG. Yes....Radio is not great. Two speakers in front and two in door. Mind does have back up camera and Bluetooth, 7in touch screen. And OnStar. For the price with tax $14,200 not a bad car to run errands. And to me it's a GM. Or in name. My current mileage is around 8K. I had thought of that EV Spark. California, does offer a good lease on the electric cars. For Los Angeles traffic, I'm pleased. Thank you
I really like your attitude and personality, I was entertained the entire time no matter what you talked about, you even made the floaty ball entertaining, most people wouldn't even mention it, but you made it funny!
These were a best by for the years it was made. Used I think it's still a best buy. I use a TORQUE AP and OBDII unit to monitor lots of great data. I can even see the BATTERY CAPACITY. My dealer couldn't even pull that data.
Great review! I have a solution to bypass the charge delay. I found in the Manual if you plug in the car wait till the green indicator on the dash starts flashing for delay charge indication then unplug and plug in again within 10 seconds and for that session you will charge immediately! Thanks again for the great review!
This is the review that made my decision easier to get a Spark over a Volt. I really want to go all electric but dropping$35k on a Tesla right now is hard. I'm going to take advantage of a state offering to buy back my current car, an 01 Civic and they'll give me around $7500, good for a healthy down payment on a Spark. Gotta have DC fast charging. I go to work and back 99% of the time my commute is 50 miles RT. Free level 2 charging at work, plus free charging at any of our stores, and about 15 L2 chargers less than a mile from my apartment so I should be good. Just remember to charge every day.
Note: 1. For parking distance use a ball on a string to pratice with? I gave five stars. Thank you for this incredible car I bought an EV Spark from Blake it had only 64 electric miles charge coming home from your dealer ship you said I should be in the 20's on the charge suprise I was like 35 miles left that's taking the freeways to get home. I am impressed. I did a charge and it would only charge up to 84 full charge but after a few days of driving to my wife's work it went to 88 full charge and then 95 to full charge. My wife works a total of a little over 10 miles one way and 20 miles round trip. I start out at 95 electric miles I did a round trip and through regeneration I came back with 88 Electric miles the 20 miles at a loss of 7 electric miles with 95 electric miles divided by 7, I should be able to make 13.57 round trip trips so at 20 miles x 13.57 times would equal over 270 miles off of one charge. Today we had a full charge 100 miles the car keeps readjusting my miles My wife's comments she started off with 100 electric miles Vicky's first day driving to work she texts: "I'm at work now, I got 94 in my battery Hon. It was good, so smoothly nice car Honey!😍😍" Like I said I am impressed Thank You once again Blake We are very happy for our Chevy Spark any one who wants please contact Blake because I have offered my contact number with him I can give hints on driving an electric car to get the most out of it ?
Thanks for the good words and grats on the new-to-you car. Mine is showing summer ranges above 90 estimated. The winter time will reduce the range quite a bit so keep that in mind. If you live in an area like me where it goes below 32 degrees, you will see it fall to around 60 miles per charge showing at the end of a charge. What is interesting is Tesla seems to be the only company who is sticking to the EPA estimate to how many kWh go into the battery. I like that better but the spark, we still have, and is just a great car. Keep an eye out for a video i am working on where i install a hitch.... pretty cool stuff.
+David Keane thanks for the good words. Wow, that simple huh? The car is totally worth it! I almost have 7k miles on it. I keep hearin about people who have spent thousands less than I too. So there are possibly more good deals to be had. Better ones.
Thanks for the good words and I'm glad you watched it. Believe it or not I watch it a double speed at least once every two months. I really like the spark. Now you gonna maybe buy an EV?!
@@TRYtoHELPyou I'm really thinking about it. Bolt seems the best all around but I like the sparks lower price tag used and honestly I mostly drive 12 miles round trip to work and do minor errands. Seems like a good fit.
Nice job. I've had a couple of the Spark EVs and you are spot on with Pros/Cons. We purchased a Bolt a few weeks ago and I still won't give up the 2014 Spark. 1 1/2 years / 22,000 miles later in the AZ heat no battery degradation.
+droid2084 tks for the good words. Great batteries! I noticed at a full charge, according to a volt app i downloaded, the highest voltage was 4.08v at the cell level... that is very conservative if true and i hope to do more research soon. They really seem to know how to take care of battery management. Glad to hear you are liking your EVs! That bolt is an entirely different type of EV im certain you will enjoy. Gratz on getting it too!
Cup holders! The front cup holders are "offset" for lack of a better term. Think of two take out cups, the offset takes advantage of the typical taper that cups have allow them to sit upright instead of the rims pushing against each other. It staggers them. If that makes any sense. Great review!
Thanks for the explanation however i don't think i said it clearly in the review. The diameter of one is larger than the other, measurably. Also, he depth of one is deeper than the other, measurably. Very strange. I didnt mention this at all. The slot between the two lets you put a normal coffee mug in there with the handle going down the slot area.... open coffee mug is not a thing for me while driving.
In 2018 it's no longer made since the 2016 but still a best buy in used EVs. The battery holds up very well. The LEAF battery wilts very fast. The KIA SOUL EV battery dies and the controller cuts off in the HEAT. The SPARK EV is the best at a great price.
I just got a 2015 spark EV with 33k miles for about 9.5K minus 5k on trade in. Unfortunately I might have found out why they got rid of it. After I took it home I found out the break assist system goes out on it randomly at a stop. The dealer said they would fix it since I found it so quick after I bought it. I luckily decided to spring for a aftermarket warranty for a bit under 2K. So they said they might go that route if it gets expensive to fix. I'm hoping they can get it fixed without too much trouble and I can enjoy it, they saying its a break sensor so hopefully that is the problem. I was thinking about getting a small 1000 watt (running) inverting generator to slow charge with it in case of emergency. Has anyone tried to do it with 1000 watts without an issue? I think rough calculation it will be close with charging it at 8A rate.
yeah, too bad. the bolt tho, if you are willing to pay the 10k more than this one cost, gives much more than the spark by way of range and space. Not DC fast charging though, this little spark still beats it out when you consider the speed vs. state of charge percentage. Bolt still is fast enough to use.
Wow! $.13 per kWh...I found out mine is $.0511 per kWh flat rate! I really like my 2019 Chevy Bolt! You have inspired me years ago to get an EV! Thanks!
Im currently thinking getting a used one its all i can afford i dont make much. problem is in this country EVs are really rare here so little is known about them.i wonder about the battery if it goes bad how will i get a replacement does anyone know if its possible to just contact chevy and ask if they can ship it to my country (The Bahamas) where i can just install it myself or is this type of plan a no go and i should just buy a hybrid instead? Cause i honestly dont want to pay 65% duty rate on gas or diesel vech when i can import a hybrid or EV on 10% duty rate.
Several of your cons are not cons, like four seats instead of five, or the direction of the wiper stock, or the infotainment screen disappearing for two seconds while you adjust the volume. The key fob DOES unlock the doors -- you showed it at 2:56. As for noise? Remember, it's based on an underpowered, top heavy and rather noisy $13,000 car. But with a powerful motor that is almost silent, plus the added weight of the batteries, wider tires and stiffer springs, the car is totally transformed. Very sporty and fun to drive. Anyway, thanks for the review. I love my Spark EV so much that I'm keeping it after my lease expires in a few weeks.
yani or laurel? my pro is someone else's con frequently. As for the keyfob, it does not unlock the doors "like the leaf". check out my leaf review for what i mean. thanks for the good words!
@@TRYtoHELPyou The key fob for my 2015 Spark EV has a lock button and an unlock button. If the car is in line of sight, I can lock or unlock the doors from about 100 feet. (All Chevrolets of this era use a similar key fob.) There's no button on the door handle. However, many other cars (such as my 2013 Mazda) do have a button on the door handle, which you can press to unlock the door while the key is still in your pocket. (Fun fact for nerds: these use a low frequency near field technology developed by Siemens in 1998 and first used by Mercedes.)
TRY to HELP you The buybacks still scare me, but I'm tracking a 2015 at VroomDC right now. I have no idea if there is any difference in '15 and '16 models.
Fantastic review. Buying a used 2015 Spark tomorrow for a little over $8000usd in Seattle area. Pretty excited. Your review helped me decide after the Bolt just wasn't coming together for us financially.
My Chevy Spark EV is amazing, so glad I got an EV! Once I have my Raptor 2 I'll have it fully charged in the trunk, then while my car charges at a station (and everything else in it, laptop etc) I'll ride the Raptor around while it charges. Then, while I drive to the next destination the Raptor 2 will be charging in the trunk. Rinse and repeat. (just need to verify it can still charge if not provided enough wattage) :D Free data service (400MB/month) at the push of a button to make the car into a WiFi hotspot (FreedomPop mini router)? Yea, I'll have that too! ;)
Still have yes. Battery cap showing 12 to 14 ish kWh according to the in car circle delay Bob on the infotainment screen. I have towed some heavy stuff with it (see my hitch video) and I may have degraded the battery due to towing at an awesome rate. 65 miles showing on full. I keep AC on or heat in winter. Would not buy again due to uncertainty of future work situation. I do use it frequently and still enjoy driving it. I must say, when driving it you may experience what I call "small car syndrome". Lots of drivers around me drive too close and are unwilling to just pass.
Is 60 miles round trip too much for this? I can plug it in to a 110 outlet during my workday. No android phones work with this car? That what i caught during the review? Which year is best? 14 15 or 16? I have a 15 here in toen for sale im going to check it out.
60 in the summer time is good, winter too but as the battery ages it looses capacity. 110 only charges 3 to 5 miles into the battery per hour (at 12 amp setting). Android Bluetooth works fine, no apple car play or Android auto. As for OBDII connection, that is what I discussed. The 2015/2016 years are better in my opinion due to the LG Chem batteries. The 2014 has lower gear ratio for higher torque but A123 batteries? Meh... Happy EV hunting! I still have the spark and really like it.
Fantastic review! I have the Sparky EV as well and I love it. It does most things way better than the Leaf but like you said, a few things are terrible. I recently discovered a great way to extend the cold weather range. I use an electric blanket that plugs into the 12 V outlet and turn the heater off. It only draws four watts and along with the seat warmers keeps me toasty warm.
Fact Check. 4 watts wouldn't warm a finger. I have put 43K miles on my'14 Spark EV and I bet my cold weather is cold than yours...jk. I'm considering velcro-ing in a clear sheet of window film behind the front seats and heating only that area. Mine is also a Cali 'Buy-Back' car that was trailer to Ohio where I bought it and towed it home to KC. It has been FLAWLESS for 2.5 years !!
Love your style, man! I am looking at used EV's, mostly "Compliance Cars" that have made it to the Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois area. This was very helpful, Thanks! Prices went way up in 2021 for same cars, though!!
Tks for the good words. Yeah, used car prices will go down when people are not buying as much. If there was a major pause to purchases for a few months then prices would prolly adjust.
Well I bough a spark ev last night gonna take some time to get the range anxiety out of the way, ended up getting it for $9500 with 14.000 on it's a 2015 white with cloth interior thanks for the video with all the information, one last question which home charger did you go with and why?
Glad you enjoy the vid. Congratz on the EV club entrance! i have several versicharge EVSEs because i got them for a deal on ebay. I would suggest chargepoint because it seems to be good overall though. I also bought one off of amazon for 200 bucks but they no longer sell it. Get something with a warranty...I discovered these guys though amazing-e.com/ Look at them. As for your spark, it only charges at 3.3kw so that charger they make will be more than fine. Looks like its 266 on amazon right now.
Jack-Spicer either works. However the spark only pulls 16.. a 30 amp EVSE is overkill however.. if you have the appropriate installation and the 30 amp EVSE installed.. you can charge cars with more powerful onboard chargers at the higher amperage.
I wonder if it is possible to muffle the sound leaking in the passenger compartment by putting some batting over rear side doors and rear hatch back.. and to preserve ability to see the rear add a rear facing camera (whixh could also be used as a back up camera)?
I am trying to get one but I live in Texas and have a low paying job. I saved up about 3k for a down payment. However, if I can't see the car, I can't buy it. I will wait until I save more money and see what happens this year.
+Alvaro G yes... And yes. And yup. Probably follow that with a yes. The only downside is if you plan to do level 2 charging a lot, it will take about7 hours to charge, so no distance trips using level two without sitting for long periods. The DC fast Charging is insanely fast bit not everywhere ( I was unable to take from MD to FL for the falcon heavy launch for instance). I have over 6500 miles on it now and it's doing great. It's our preferred EV.. the only down side is the lack of a fifth seat. But man, it's fun to drive and FAST! If you have money tho, get a Tesla... Or, look at used Bolts. They are in the low 20s right now. The bolt has some cozy range. What price are they offering you?
+Alvaro G that is a good deal man. Only thing is, like any other car, it depreciates. So as you own it it's value will go down (unless gas prices go up) . I do not regret my purchase... I financed the thing too. The 2015 has the updated battery and gearing. If it has DC fast charging, that is a great deal. You gotta answer yes to these questions. Do you normally drive 60 miles or less a day (80max)? Is 4 seats ok? Can you charge at home? Do you want to fit in parking spots? Do you want to have fun? Do you want to beat many cars off the line (or peel out trying)? Do you want to save money on operating costs vs. gas? You either jump in now or wait a year or two. The deals keep getting better. The only thing that will jack this all up is if gas prices go up a lot. Then the EVs will be a longer wait to get a hold of and the prices will go up.
This could have been sold in the UK by Vauxhall as a smaller EV - but they didn’t have the balls to do it. If they had, it would probably still be in production, as it has everything you could possibly want in an EV. Also makes a better buy than a BMW1 or an Audi A1. Massive shame this never made it to the UK...!!! 😔
Was in Korea for the better part of the last year. It didn't get driven much. Currently shows 78 miles when fully charged. Hoping to drain it all the way and recharge soon. (It did just pass 10k miles). We bought a Tesla model S in October from tesla.com/used. The pickup experience was bad. The condition of the car was not the best (I don't care about cosmetics or scratches). The service since has been great. The warranty has come in handy and the tech can come to your house in our area. I plan on doing a vid soon bout it.
Really helpful (and entertaining) video! This has solidified my desire to buy a Spark, thanks for all the down-to-earth observations and thorough analyses!
thanks! The spark EV is a fun one. I have my sights on a used Tesla though.... one day.... Maybe even the new Model 3.. if you can wait a year or two (must reserve a Model 3), i highly suggest getting a model 3.... or if you have 50 thousand dollars, look into a used model S from tesla.. I think the maintenance costs you will want to pay up front, but its a magnificent car. Plus, you can take it on road trips... But if all you can afford is an 11k car like i did, then yes. The Spark is super awesome! www.tesla.com/used
What's your opinion on the Chevy Volt, vs the Spark EV? My only concern with the spark is the lack of continued production, and seemingly lack of interest on behalf of Chevy . I'm inclined to go with Volt for their great track record of battery longevity, plus many more in production to offset future part costs. Also the fact that a 30-40 mile range would fit all my applications
Go with the volt is my response. The only reason I have the spark (reasons):EV Obsession and also though the price on this was perfect for me. The older volt has a 18kWh battery but only utilizes 10kWh, or so I have read.that is good for longevity.the newer volt that is not the case from what I have seen. If all you do is 30 or 40 miles a day, get the volt, and you will want to then want to buy a Tesla. Mark my words :)
@@TRYtoHELPyou The Volt is a bigger, more expensive car with an unlimited range, but it's not as fun to drive (0-60 in 9 seconds). The Spark is very quick and fun to drive. It was made for commuting and errands around town. It has a tiny hatch -- although you can fold down the back seats. You can buy a certified used one from a dealer with 30,000 miles on the odometer for about $10,000. I love mine and I'm keeping after my lease expires. The Bolt is the Spark EV's big brother -- larger, smoother, longer range.
Oh jeez man. I would buy the spark. Does it have DC fast charging? If so it is a beast. Also the battery will last longer due to active thermal management. Either car is good tho. The leaf is a bit more comfortable and has that fifth seat.... But the spark is much faster/40kw more power. Yup. Hope that helps.
Oh jeez man. I would buy the spark. Does it have DC fast charging? If so it is a beast. Also the battery will last longer due to active thermal management. Either car is good tho. The leaf is a bit more comfortable and has that fifth seat.... But the spark is much faster/40kw more power. Yup. Hope that helps.
I'm grateful for your long video. I'm going to be an owner in about a week (shipping from Cerritos CA to LV, NV), I will add and subtract some of your ideas on mine.
Glad to hear I could provide info. The spark will be perfect for that climate. It's best to keep it plugged in on those super hot days. However, if it has plenty of charge the battery thermal management works even when not plugged in and parked. The AC pump is oversized to be able to cool the battery and the cabin so when it goes full blast the AC gets really cold. Enjoy the car!
I won't ever forget the 2005-07 prices of nearly 5 bucks. Fortunately electricity has not gone up AND we can capture and store it ourselves if we are up to it. Take it for a test drive! Mine is about 10% degraded now. I'm holding onto it for a while still. Very useful.
Hey, did you have a bluetooth obdII plugged in? And if so, what software are you using to monitor the car with? Just bought one, taking delivery on Saturday. And you're right, the acceleration, just nuts.
Gratz! Pretty sure you will like the car :) as for the OBDII, yes Bluetooth. I used some Chevy volt app and it only read out top, low and average voltage of the pack. Im still looking for a good app for the car.
there is another pro that I think people would appreciate knowing about.. the seat reclines very far back and is comfortable taking a nap in. Some cars don't recline so well. You mentioned you bought a used Teslan. I am wondering how far back a tesla model S can recline compared to the Spark EV.. and comfort comparison.
Any thoughts on Car Seats? I am considering a used EV. Leaf or Spark is most likely the best option since my budget is 9 grand or less. I "would" buy a Sou;, but I am not dropping 13k or more on one. Anyway, 2 car seats. Baby and 4 year old. One has the back facing, the other forward. I assume the Leaf is more practical. Decent enough space in Spark to fit the seats? I slipped a car seat in a 13 Leaf, no problem at all.
Two kids in the back two seats works well for me (one rear baby). The front seat in front of the backwards baby seat will be cramped in spark. A little less cramped in leaf. Spark put performs leaf in range and power and battery longevity. If you don't need the fifth seat, I highly recommend spark over leaf. It's super easy to park too. Almost zero trunk space tho.
28:20 - That's an issue with a lot of cars, especially eco-cars. The hoods are usually slanted at a very similar angle as the windshield to help create a 'wedge' shape to enhance the aerodynamics. This has an unintended consequence of making the hood impossible to see from the inside of the car. I had the same issue after getting my 2014 Volt. Fortunately my car has parking sensors, but those don't detect small things like sign posts and parking stops (Most cars will clear a parking stop, but the Volt has such low clearance that I have to be careful with those).
Mount these on your bumper and you will be able to better judge. www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200321754_200321754?cm_mmc=Google-pla&Google_PLA&Snow%20%2B%20Ice%20Removal%20%3E%20Snowplow%20Accessories&Buyers%20Products&gclid=CjwKCAjw9qfZBRA5EiwAiq0AbWUGsQ6fLyO86JTNHCrNpt-uWYvYpjBjCeV9nypr9c5yhXQafN2VmBoCQSsQAvD_BwE
I'm almost 100%, like, 98.9% positive that weird humming sound at 33:21 when you shift it from Neutral into a moving "gear", is a pedestrian alert tone...to let people walking know you are about to move.
I am a gas burning ozone layer destroying combustion engine enthusiast. I have been interested in anything with wheels and a gas engine since I was a child. I was fortunate enough to see an add for a lease deal on one of these exceptional little vehicles for only $99 dollars a month with 0 at signing and 0 at termination of the lease!! I was spending nearly $100 a month on fuel just for my daily commute. It was a deal that I couldn't loose on. Coming from a guy who loves both the sound and the smell of a gasoline engine I can say without a doubt I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my driving experience behind the wheel of the Chevrolet Spark EV. Its really is hoot to drive. It has plenty of get up and go. It is super smooth and the cabin is serenely quite. To engine noise or vibration. It feels like a solid car. The only reason I chose not to purchase this car at the end of my lease was because of the fact the battery powered vehicle technology is growing rapidly and I know that it won't be long before a long range affordable EV is available on the market. The residual value was already above retail value at the time my lease was up. However the used prices of these little gems has continued to drop to the point that I am seriously considering buying one to have as my primary mode of transportation as nearly 95% of my driving in a week are trips of less than 50 miles. EV's are certainly a viable option for the future and I see them becoming a very important part of limiting the amount of greenhouse gasses created by combustion engine vehicles. I am glad that my eyes and my heart have been opened up to the world of EV's. If you haven't given one a try I highly encourage it. Oh wanted to add one last thing. During my three year lease I spent less than thirty dollars on paid charging stations. In other words I did darn near all of my charging at home with not marginal impact on my electricity bill. Your results will certainly vary depending on the distance and climate that you drive in.
Great deal of a lease, very nice. I see several Tesla model three vehicles on my way to work now. That wasn't the case two years or three years ago. We now have the spark, a Tesla model S (bought from tesla.com/used for ~40k) a backup gas minivan as transport vehicles. We only keep the van because cars always have issues and a backup is very valuable in times of contingency.
By the way excellent video/review and lots of great info. Keep up the good work. I also agree that another added benefit is no more oil changes. This is both time saving, money saving, and environmentally more friendly. Certainly was something I didn’t even consider as being a benefit before leasing the Spark EV. Extremely low maintenance was just another one of the many things I enjoyed during my time with the EV.
I’m doing research this year bc of the gas being so damn expense . But these suckers are 15k for a used one with 45k miles, would it be worth it for that price even if my payment would just be 50 less than my current car? Or should i wait? Damn didn’t think these cars would be so expensive
Buying used or new anything right now, unless you absolutely have to, may just be silly. Don't know when prices will go down tho. Maybe one year? Maybe 3.... I still got the spark and use it daily. Doesn't go as far as it used to. Not that much degradation tho. Less money every month tho is less money every month. Gas prices could go either way. Be weary of people claiming they know exactly what's "gonna happen" and just do what you are comfortable with and what you think is smart for your now and future.
Buying used or new anything right now, unless you absolutely have to, may just be silly. Don't know when prices will go down tho. Maybe one year? Maybe 3.... I still got the spark and use it daily. Doesn't go as far as it used to. Not that much degradation tho. Less money every month tho is less money every month. Gas prices could go either way. Be weary of people claiming they know exactly what's "gonna happen" and just do what you are comfortable with and what you think is smart for your now and future.
@@TRYtoHELPyou Thanks man! I’ll stick to my car, maybe a Chevy Bolt will be cheap in the next 3-4 years or more electric options. But I figured this is the worst time to buy anything lol
Great video! How has it been owning the Spark of over one year? does your home charging station fit your Spark and Leaf? Any issues sharing 2 EVs on one home charger?
Thanks for the good words. Owning those cars has been good. The charging EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment) both use j1772, so yes. As for issues sharing one charger, sort of.... so i have many. Its just like if you had to plug in two phones but only had one charger... yep... BTW, we bought a model S in october... may do a video soon on that. Car was great, experience..... well they have room to improve. Tesla is growing and doing better.
The brakes look new still here. Approaching 20k miles and do need new front tires as they take a beating both accelerating and braking. I'll take the tire replacements over brake pads and oil changes.
If you plug the charge cord in and then out then in (the second 'in' within 5 seconds of the first 'in') i.e., just jiggle the plug in and out on plugging it in, it will bypasses the charge timer and goes straight to immediate charging... so you don't need an additional quick link button.
WHAT?!?!! you guys do? that is great. Any sign of battery degradation? Mine is showing ZERO degradation after 8500 miles... and i am starting to frown every time i think about the LEAF :/
I often drive 75-85 miles a day and we have ~25,000 miles on the 2015 and ~3,000 miles on the 2016 (my wife's car). Both cars have DCFC but we have yet to use that feature. Therefore both cars have only experience very gentle charging (240 v L2). They both show almost exactly the same range when fully charged (104-109 miless in summer 80-ish in winter. Both have averaged 5.2 miles/Kwh over their total lifetimes, and the battery capacity is very close between the cars as they both routinely indicate a usable capacity of between 16.8 and 17.6 Kwh. My wife recently started a new job with a longer commute so she's now adding 55-60 miles per day.... so between us we should soon get a good idea of battery degradation versus distance driven, but so far these batteries are looking great.
thanks for the reply. I bet if you used the DC fast charging it would not even phase the batteries. They are very well thermally managed and ours charges so fast and the AC and cooling system kicks in and just does its job. So simple. You guys made a great choice! I think our next car is going to be a Tesla though.... yep. keep up the charge!
I wanted to know how you felt almost a year down the line, and degradation of the battery, etc?I wanted to pick up a used 2016 chevy spark ev in the next few months!
Your use of past tense is confusing however I will answer in hopes that you still want to know :) . Battery degradation seems non existent. I have almost 10k miles on it. Love the car still. We recently bought a used Tesla model S and like the 200+ mile range. The spark very much fills it's role as the go to work and get around town car.
I'm thinking about buying a used Spark EV. I might move to Minneapolis in a year and I'm in Denver now. How does it do in cold snowy weather, hopefully I'll be able to live in a way that I can leave the car at home on snow days. Thanks! Great review!
nah man, it added 3-4 more kWh in way less time. 13 mins less. check out the time betwen the price and the kWh added. in this case i was charged the "minimum" charge to charge by chargepoint.
If the charging works the same as on the Volt, you can plugin, then pull the charge cable out and plug back in (within a couple seconds) to bypass the delay charge to charge immediate.
You know what, I have found this out. And I don't know if it's in the manual but YES the spark does this too. And it's a pain in the but if your connector is having issues because you unplug and then plug in then do it again and it goes back to sched or something. Anyway, yes, spark does do this too.thanks for the comment!
Just set the car to always charge immediately in the settings. That's what I did on mine. No fiddling with the charge cord, just plug in and walk away.
I also bought a Cali 'Buy-Back' '14 Spark EV and it has been flawless for 2.5 yrs/ 43k Miles!! I had to dolly it home from Ohio to KC. I will be trading up the Bolt someday, after they figure out that DCFC thing (and add some tech like 'Super Cruise') How can you do any kind of road-tripping in the Bolt with that limited DCFC? I read it's even worse in the cold.
Gratz on the spark purchase. You will love it! If I had a boot I could deal with the 2 hour charge time every once and a while. I don't road trip that often but Tesla... 90 to 120kW? Yes please. That is a 40 min charge between stations no matter what model you have. Cold affects those cars too but they charge so fast on the supercharger network. And 40 mins is a decent break after 150 or 200 miles of driving. You feel refreshed when you sit back down
Have you had to take your spark for repairs of any kind in the time you’ve had it? Someone said they see the spark ev in shops more than the leaf. I can’t decide between the 2016 spark ev 1 LT and the 2013 Nissan Leaf s
I’ve taken both for a test drive and love both. It just comes down to range per charge now. It appears as if your spark is a 1 LT as well. I don’t plan on getting on star. With that said are you able to listen to pandora and have WiFi without it on the infotainment center? I heard you can add apps
4 года назад
Year later. How's it holding up? Did range decrease too much after how many miles?
Two years. Didn't get used much in 2018. It has about 16k miles now and is a great car with no battery degradation showing. Chevy got it right with LG on this battery for thev2015/16 model. Worth a test drive if you don't need much range. Holding up great btw. I even made a hitch for it. Will do video some time later bout that tho.
So, it is not built to tow and the manual says it's not made to tow. It was a super pain to install and drilling through the rear bumper support thing was difficult to put it plainly. It seems to be made of stainless? But I think it was just a strange angle. Anyway, you won't be able to find a hitch, it will be a custom job.... And the car isn't built for it. So yeah, just keep that in mind. (Used to tow a boat with my old Corolla and added airbags to the Corolla/custom hitch... I have a little experience with this, in other words)
I am a Single dad with 4 year old son, I have around 10k to spend, should I get a used volt, leaf or spark EV. I have a single car garage where I can charge it. I like the spark but safety wise it's sooo Small. I'm in Minneapolis and reliability is a concern as well as winter driving. Love your reviews ❤️
Volt will make you yurn for a full EV. Volt will also cost you more to operate.leaf is not the best in cold weather because it's battery heater only comes on at -14f which is not good. It let's itself charge even if it's sub freezing and that damages the battery. It is bigger tho than the spark. The spark safety record is decent. You can see crash tests, they seem pretty stout. It's a far superior EV when it comes to build quality and efficiency. Chevy is better than Nissan at EVs. Test drive the leaf and spark EV. Oh, winder driving, the range cuts down considerably but the heater works nearly instantly and that is so nice. What are your miles per day you need to be able to drive? And can you charge at work? (If you have a workplace)
@@TRYtoHELPyou thank you for the reply, I have about 60 miles of driving per day. Charging at work is up in the air at the moment. How many miles are you getting in the winter with the spark? Reliability of spark so far?
Barely 60 in the spark during winter :/ and it only gets worse over time. If you are driving a gas car that gets 30 mpg you are burning 2 gallons a day. My cost to fully charge my spark is about 2.50 from empty to full at .13 cents a kwh. reliability has been amazing. If you can charge at work undoubtedly then this is a good choice. Otherwise u may just need to spend more on a longer range EV. Again, the volt is good but you will be wanting a fully electric because it's so much less to operate.
@@TRYtoHELPyou do you think it's worth it to buy a 30kwh leaf to get that extra 20 miles of range over 24kwh leaf and Chevy spark EV, prices are around 15,000 for longer range leaf. Also does the 24kwh battery get you more range than the spark EV in winter and summer if it's the lizard battery pack?
