EPA numbers peg Chevy Spark most efficient electric vehicle on US market

NEW YORK—Newly-released EPA numbers give the 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV top marks in efficiency, according to the automaker.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency—the American government body tasked with measuring fuel economy and emissions for new vehicles on the market south of the border—gave the soon-to-launch Spark EV a combined city/highway estimated range of 82 miles when fully charged.

An EPA-estimated combined city/highway fuel economy equivalent of 119 miles per gallon vaults the Spark EV to the top of the U.S. retail market in terms of efficiency.

Compared to the average new vehicle, the Spark EV can potentially save its owners up to $9,000 in fuel cost over five years, according to Chevrolet.

Powered by a 21-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, parent company General Motors is hoping the Spark EV can make up for dismal sales of the larger Chevrolet Volt, first launched as a 2011 model.

GM has been offering steep discounts on the Volt in a bid to bolster its sales as the electric vehicle movement tries to keep its head above water in North America.

Targeted at city drivers, the micro-compact Spark EV’s electric drive system is built on American soil.

The Spark EV goes on sale California and Oregon this summer, with plans to market the vehicle in Canada, Europe and South Korea at a later date.