I had no intention of buying an electric car last Friday, Aug. 23rd, but I was curious about them, so I spent the next several hours reading up on the new automotive technology. I bought a Lexus CT200 gas-hybrid based on its appearance and the Lexus reputation last year, but sold it after six months. That it "fits like a glove" made the driving experience fun at first, but then it got to be a pain. I got to the point where getting into the driver's seat was akin to OJ trying to put the glove on. I also tired of the lack of performance as the power train in the CT200 was virtually identical to a Toyota Prius.
After reading the reviews of all of the available plug-in electric cars under $40k, the Spark EV stood out against the others in terms of performance, so I made contact with the Internet sales manager of my local Chevy dealer the following day and set up an appointment to have a close look and test drive a Spark EV. Getting in and out of the little car was a piece of cake. So far so good.
"Floor it" said the sales manager after we pulled out of his dealership onto the boulevard. So I did, and I was impressed. Cruising down the 880 freeway at 60 I punched it again and ran it up to a few whiskers below 80. Again I was impressed.
"If I buy one of these, do I qualify for the $7500 federal tax credit and the $2500 cash rebate from the state (CA)?" I asked.
"Yes sir," was the reply.
"How 'bout the white HOV stickers?"
"Those too," he said.
"Let's head back and see if you have one in stock in light blue or light silver," I said. The one I test drove appeared to be black or something similar. I had a black car when I was in college four decades ago. Never again.
Twenty-five minutes later the Internet sales manager sent their only L2 Spark EV in Ice Metallic to the get-ready shop while we started the paperwork. After a quick run to my bank to obtain a check and the routine meeting with the finance manager, along with numerous signatures and initials, I became the new owner of a Spark EV.
It's two days and 65 miles later as I write this, and I have a few questions for those of you in California who beat me to the punch:
1) Is it necessary to wait until your permanent plates arrive before you can apply for the $2500 California rebate check, or can you just state "Temp" in the license plate block. (I tried the DMV phone line for this issue several times but couldn't get through.)
2) Same question regarding the white EV HOV stickers. Beyond the $8 fee, what hoops will I have to jump through to get a pair of these coveted stickers? As near as I can tell, I have to mail in the original 13-foot long yellow copy of the sales contract along with the DMV application form and the check. I hate to part with the original purchase agreement.
3) And finally, clear up this mystery for me if you can. My Spark came with a black trim at the bottom of both sides identifying it as an EV, but it was the only one of the four Spark EVs my dealer had in stock that did. Is it part of the L2 package like the leatherette seats and leather-wrapped steering wheel? I didn't pay that much attention to the three others that were in stock.
(I have three .jpeg photos sitting on my desktop that show the black trim and will be happy to include them in this post if someone will explain how to do it. I clicked on the "img" button above, but can't get them to show. Dragging and dropping doesn't work either.)
Bottom line: We (Spark EV owners) won't have to worry as much about gas skyrocketing to $8 or more and/or becoming nearly unavailable if those crazies in the Middle East find a way to cripple Europe and the U.S. by shutting down the transit of oil through the Suez Canal. It might represent only 20 percent of the crude we import, but I have clear memories of what a pain in the butt the oil embargo was back in the 1970s. Anyone besides me remember the odd and even days based on the last digit of your license plate when being able to purchase ten gallons of gas often required waiting in line for an hour or more?
Thanks for any help in answering my questions. There may not be many participants of this forum now, but I would wager there will be a thousand members or more by the end of the year as more and more people learn about the Spark EV.
Bill in Fremont, CA
After reading the reviews of all of the available plug-in electric cars under $40k, the Spark EV stood out against the others in terms of performance, so I made contact with the Internet sales manager of my local Chevy dealer the following day and set up an appointment to have a close look and test drive a Spark EV. Getting in and out of the little car was a piece of cake. So far so good.
"Floor it" said the sales manager after we pulled out of his dealership onto the boulevard. So I did, and I was impressed. Cruising down the 880 freeway at 60 I punched it again and ran it up to a few whiskers below 80. Again I was impressed.
"If I buy one of these, do I qualify for the $7500 federal tax credit and the $2500 cash rebate from the state (CA)?" I asked.
"Yes sir," was the reply.
"How 'bout the white HOV stickers?"
"Those too," he said.
"Let's head back and see if you have one in stock in light blue or light silver," I said. The one I test drove appeared to be black or something similar. I had a black car when I was in college four decades ago. Never again.
Twenty-five minutes later the Internet sales manager sent their only L2 Spark EV in Ice Metallic to the get-ready shop while we started the paperwork. After a quick run to my bank to obtain a check and the routine meeting with the finance manager, along with numerous signatures and initials, I became the new owner of a Spark EV.
It's two days and 65 miles later as I write this, and I have a few questions for those of you in California who beat me to the punch:
1) Is it necessary to wait until your permanent plates arrive before you can apply for the $2500 California rebate check, or can you just state "Temp" in the license plate block. (I tried the DMV phone line for this issue several times but couldn't get through.)
2) Same question regarding the white EV HOV stickers. Beyond the $8 fee, what hoops will I have to jump through to get a pair of these coveted stickers? As near as I can tell, I have to mail in the original 13-foot long yellow copy of the sales contract along with the DMV application form and the check. I hate to part with the original purchase agreement.
3) And finally, clear up this mystery for me if you can. My Spark came with a black trim at the bottom of both sides identifying it as an EV, but it was the only one of the four Spark EVs my dealer had in stock that did. Is it part of the L2 package like the leatherette seats and leather-wrapped steering wheel? I didn't pay that much attention to the three others that were in stock.
(I have three .jpeg photos sitting on my desktop that show the black trim and will be happy to include them in this post if someone will explain how to do it. I clicked on the "img" button above, but can't get them to show. Dragging and dropping doesn't work either.)
Bottom line: We (Spark EV owners) won't have to worry as much about gas skyrocketing to $8 or more and/or becoming nearly unavailable if those crazies in the Middle East find a way to cripple Europe and the U.S. by shutting down the transit of oil through the Suez Canal. It might represent only 20 percent of the crude we import, but I have clear memories of what a pain in the butt the oil embargo was back in the 1970s. Anyone besides me remember the odd and even days based on the last digit of your license plate when being able to purchase ten gallons of gas often required waiting in line for an hour or more?
Thanks for any help in answering my questions. There may not be many participants of this forum now, but I would wager there will be a thousand members or more by the end of the year as more and more people learn about the Spark EV.
Bill in Fremont, CA
