GM Korea unveils electric car

GM Korea unveiled its electric car, the Chevrolet Spark EV, at a ceremony in Incheon on Tuesday, saying it will begin selling the vehicle in October.

“The pure electric Spark EV represents another step forward on GM’s roadmap to providing a variety of solutions that benefit our environment and our customers,” said Sergio Rocha, CEO of GM Korea. “As GM’s first fully electric vehicle in the domestic market, it demonstrates Korea’s important role in GM’s long-term global vehicle strategy.”

The Spark EVis powered by an advanced electric motor and battery system. The electric motor integrated with a drive unit churns out more than 105 kilowatts and a maximum torque of 57.4 kilogram-meters. It can reach 100 kilometers per hour from standstill in 8.5 seconds.

One of the key concerns about electric cars is their limited range with a single charge. Spark EV’s range is the longest with up to 135 kilometers among other domestic electric cars, and reachers a maximum energy efficiency of 5.6 km/kWh.

The battery system has also improved. It can be recharged to 80 percent of its capacity in 20 minutes, and AC recharging requires between six and eight hours using a 220 V outlet. The battery comes with a warranty of eight years or 160,000 km.

The price was set at 39.9 million won ($35,800), between SME Z.E’s 45 million won and Ray EV’s 35 million won. The launch of Spark EV is expected to lead a three-way battle with the two other EVs from Samsung Renalt and Kia Motors.

By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)