The electric version of the Spark accelerates quickly, but its battery pack gives it only range enough for short commutes.
Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Chevy launched the Spark in the US as a subcompact with a tiny 1.25-liter gasoline engine, and this year is using the platform for a new electric car. As is typical of most modern electric cars, the range is less than 100 miles.
Directly under the hood sit the power control electronics, with the electric motor buried underneath. This drivetrain is good for 140 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque.
The drive selector looks like a transmission shifter, and even has the standard PRNDL gate. But it is purely electronic, with no actual gears to shift or engage.
