The 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV, introduced ahead of the Los Angeles International Auto Show, packs smart performance and connectivity technologies into an affordable five-door urban mini car designed to make the trip as electrifying as the destination. It will be priced under $25,000 with tax incentives.

With the Chevrolet Volt, Chevrolet accounts for more than 50% of all plug-in electric vehicle sales in the United States and Spark EV builds on Chevrolet’s proven electric motor and battery development programs. When it goes on sale next summer, the Spark EV is expected to have among the best EV battery range in its segment and be the first electric vehicle to offer SAE Combo DC Fast Charging capability, enabling the Spark EV to reach 80-percent battery charge in just 20 minutes.

“When you engineer a technology-filled, all-electric mini car that goes from zero-to-60mph in less than eight seconds, customers won’t miss the gas,” says Mark Reuss, president, General Motors North America.

In addition to previously announced markets including California and South Korea, Spark EV will also go on sale in participating dealerships throughout Oregon, Canada, and other global markets. Spark EV will be eligible for coveted high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes in California.

The Soul of Spark EV

Spark EV is powered by an advanced electric motor and battery system. It consists of a GM-designed, coaxial drive unit and electric motor that together deliver 130hp (110kW) and 400 lb/ft. (542Nm) of torque for instant acceleration; and a more than 20kWh lithium ion battery is expected to provide among the best EV range performance in its segment.

The drive unit and motor will be assembled of U.S. and globally sourced parts at GM’s White Marsh, MD, manufacturing facility, and the first time a United States automaker has built both a complete electric motor and drive unit for a modern electric vehicle in the United States.

Spark EV’s long-life battery is designed to be safe, durable and reliable, and is warranted for eight years or 100,000 miles. It consists of a 560 lb (254 kg) square lithium-ion battery pack with a volume of 133 liters, comprising 336 prismatic cells.

“The Spark EV battery has undergone more than 200,000 hours of testing in our global battery systems labs,” says Pamela Fletcher, Chevrolet executive chief engineer of electrified vehicles. “It is extremely durable and has undergone the same abuse tolerance testing as the Volt battery.”