2014 Chevrolet Spark EV Tech Performance Concept

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GeorgeChevy said:
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/11/06/chevy-spark-ev-tech-performance-sema-2013/

Wow looks like they modified the electronics and boosted the torque of the motor to 450 lb/ft!
I'm sure this is already possible with the current Spark EVs, it just requires some amount of hacking. I'm not sure if the stock axles would be able to handle it as they've been upgraded on the concept. Look at the Volt guys, a hobbyist (who knows his stuff) was able to hack into the low-level software and change several parameters to get something around 5.5s 0-60 times where it usually does around 9s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA4fLSuvkk8
 
Necropost here.
I take it nobody ever came out with a power programmer for the SparkEV?

It would be nice to put stickier tires on the car, increase the torque to match the newfound traction, and increase the horsepower limit to hold max torque up to 60-70mph instead of 40mph.
 
Taxman said:
Necropost here.
I take it nobody ever came out with a power programmer for the SparkEV?

It would be nice to put stickier tires on the car, increase the torque to match the newfound traction, and increase the horsepower limit to hold max torque up to 60-70mph instead of 40mph.

I'd be a buyer for that immediately.
 
What about the 8 Yr. / 100k mile warranty?

How can you really tell if you have a lousy 10-15% more power? Is it worth it? How? It's already a fast little car that is limited by TC most of the time.
 
Currently, max torque is held to about 35 MPH. Holding to 60 MPH would mean almost doubling of power. I doubt the motor / battery can produce 280 HP.

Also as Norton pointed out, even current setup dances with traction control, especially going over even tiny bumps at 30 MPH. Max torque to 70 MPH would cause dangerous situations where you're slipping and sliding without drag racing slicks (or maybe even then) at far higher speed. Such is the problem with FWD cars.

I suspect that's why Bolt's time are 0-30 MPH in 2.9 sec (vs SparkEV 3.1); much more torque on FWD car could mean more accidents. Chevy really blew it with Bolt by having FWD while electric bits are so much more capable.
 
I want this version: http://www.chevyjoltev.com/

Chevy_Jolt_Night_Not_Real.jpg
 
SparkevBlogspot said:
.... Chevy really blew it with Bolt by having FWD while electric bits are so much more capable.
That's easy to say for someone that never sees snow, ice, or even wet roads! :cool:
And what about max Regen on a rear wheel drive car? In the rain? On a curve? :eek: You'd have TC limiting Regen all the time. No thanks.

I have simple needs: FWD. Hatchback.
More range would be nice, but I'm fine with 82 miles,, for now, especially for the price ! :!:
 
Snow and ice only happen in Disney fairy tales! Rain? Is that like Ocean mist? We get that all the time! ;-)

We have oil puddles since rains are fairy tales most of the year, and they don't get washed away. Then when they get mixed with rare rain, entire road become slicker than ice, especially in poor areas that had lots of oil leaks.

Regen will be limited whether it's FWD or RWD. With modern TC, rear spinning on you is not likely.
 
NORTON said:
I have simple needs: FWD. Hatchback.

When talking electric, FWD does not equal traction. It's all about weight over drive wheels, and every modern electric has a motor near the drive wheels, unlike a front engine RWD gasser.
Rear engine gassers were better in snow than FWD. My 1975 Civic was no slouch in the snow, but a Beetle was even better, too bad the heaters were usually useless.

Look at the Spark EV for example. 50/50 weight distribution, but weight shifts OFF the front wheels under acceleration.
Now imagine the battery were in the middle instead of wrapped around the back axle, and the motor were in the back, and it had 55-60% of its weight on the back wheels at rest.
 
blownb310 said:
Baloney, Norton's got it right.
Care to explain what is lunch meat? It's simple Physics, and with traction control, FWD or RWD makes no difference under limited traction situations. If you don't have TC, you are more likely to slide the rear and lose regen, but that won't happen with TC.
 
Taxman said:
..>When talking electric, FWD does not equal traction. ...
>>Look at the Spark EV for example. 50/50 weight distribution, but weight shifts OFF the front wheels under acceleration.
....
>Right, But when all traction is lost :eek: (stuck in the snow) you have a fighting chance by directing the power 4 different directions instead of just forward and backwards as in a RWD car.

Tax,
As someone who lives in the Great White North I'm not telling you anything new. But these Cali guys don't have a clue about snow driving. ;)
It's an age old discussion about RWD vs FWD. I know which I definitely prefer.

>> So your front loses some traction at full power but is firmly planted at full regen, the more the merrier!

The Tesla guys defend RWD even though there is the max regen issue, (and the no blended brake issue, you have to control the regen and the brake pedal is only friction brakes.. Don't get me started)
Even Volvo and BMW offer FWD or AWD alternatives. They used to beat the RWD drum!
For TC to kick in there has to be SOME slippage happening, then it will reduce regen quickly. Very quickly, hopefully. Less need for that with FWD regen.
 
Yes, front wheel braking, whether friction or regen, is more effective and stable than rear wheel braking.
Skidding the rear wheels under braking is a good way to spin a car.
Like blogspot said, traction and stability control should prevent rear wheel skid.

My earlier remarks were about getting stuck in the snow, I hadn't even thought about front vs rear wheel regenerative braking.
When traction is so bad as to be a safety issue, I'd want to shut off regen and use only well balanced four wheel friction brakes, but that's not possible with a Spark, is it? I think you can do it with a Volt by putting it in Hold mode.
 
NORTON said:
SparkevBlogspot said:
...
And what about max Regen on a rear wheel drive car? In the rain? On a curve? :eek: You'd have TC limiting Regen all the time. ...
! :!:

Interestingly the rear wheel drive Tesla Model S only has a maximum of 60kW regen (same as the Spark EV) even though it is a much larger more powerful car!

kevin
 
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