The new 2017 Chevrolet Bolt could be the car that finally launches an EV revolution, but in the meantime, the automaker unceremoniously announced it’s going to discontinue the Bolt’s sibling, the also-sudden-flash-of-something-named Spark.
The Detroit News reported Tuesday that, despite previously saying the Spark likely wouldn’t be replaced by the Bolt, General Motors confirmed it ended production of the minicar.
“We’re excited to build on the great experience of our electrification program, including Spark EV, to introduce the first affordable, long range electric vehicle, the Bolt EV,” Chevrolet spokesman Fred Ligouri told the newspaper.
The Spark rolled out in 2013 and came across like an environmental-friendly car for millennials, but with the 2017 Bolt coming onto the market, it’s hard to make a case for the Spark’s continued existence. Compared to the Bolt’s 200-mile claimed range and roughly $30,000 sticker price (including a $7,500 federal tax credit), the Spark seems wholly insignificant, with a claimed range of only 82 miles and a very slightly-less $26,000 MSRP.
And they simply weren’t selling, either. The News says Chevy sold roughly 7,400 Spark EVs, which were available only in California, Oregon, and Maryland. The Bolt, meanwhile, is set to be rolled out nationwide in 2017. Chevy expects Bolt sales this month alone to be close to 1,200.
So bon voyage, Spark. It was still a nice, brief run.