Chevrolet to sell Spark minicar, EV version in U.S.; new TrailBlazer SUV planned

UPDATED--General Motors Co. said Wednesday it plans to introduce a pure electric version of the Chevrolet Spark in select U.S. markets.

The Spark EV is an electric version of the upcoming 2013 Spark minicar that will be slotted below the subcompact Chevy Sonic in Chevrolet's U.S. product lineup.

A123 Systems will provide the battery for the Spark EV, GM said.

The Spark is expected to go on sale in the U.S. market in late 2012, after the launch of the redesigned mid-sized 2013 Chevrolet Malibu sedan, the company said in a statement. GM officials indicated the Spark EV would go on sale in 2013.

Jim Federico, head of global electric vehicles for Chevrolet, said the Spark EV would be rolled out in key countries and urban markets where low speeds and shorter distances dominate driving habits.

"Our global demo fleets continue to provide insight into the needs of electric vehicle customers living in urban environments," Federico said. "The Spark EV is another step in Chevrolet's plan to provide customers with a variety of electrification solutions to address the lifestyle and transportation needs of people around the world."

GM will provide an estimated range for the Spark EV closer to launch. The automaker did not say where the Spark for the U.S. market will be assembled.

Other announcements

Meanwhile, Chevrolet will introduce a new family of small-displacement gasoline engines through the end of this decade, Jim Federico, executive director for Chevrolet electric vehicles, said Wednesday.

The family will include three- and four-cylinder engines ranging from 1.0- to 1.5-liters in size. The three-cylinder versions are not currently planned for sale in the United States.

The Ecotec engines will use direct injection and turbocharging to boost fuel economy. The new family of engines will replace three engine families currently in use, Federico said. It wasn't immediately clear which engine families would be replaced by the new one.

GM, in a statement, said it aims to eventually sell more than 2 million of the new engines a year worldwide by the end of the decade.

The automaker also said it will launch a new Chevy TrailBlazer midsize SUV in global markets, starting with Thailand early next year. The TrailBlazer will be based on the redesigned Colorado pickup that GM recently introduced in Thailand. GM plans to sell the new Colorado in the U.S.

Executives declined comment when asked if the vehicle will be sold in the United States. It will be unveiled at the Dubai International Motor Show, which runs Nov. 10-14.

Spark competition

GM is joining several automakers with plans to market all-electric vehicles as the U.S. government prepares to finalize tougher fuel economy requirements for light vehicles through 2025.

Tesla Motors and Nissan Motor Co. are already marketing electric vehicles.

Ford Motor Co. plans an all-electric version of the Focus compact car beginning in 2012. Toyota Motor Corp., Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and Kia Motors Corp. are also readying all-electric vehicles for sale in the United States.

In January, GM CEO Dan Akerson said the automaker was developing an all-electric vehicle for the United States, giving GM another 'green' model to complement the Chevrolet Volt.

The Volt is an extended-range sedan with a gasoline engine designed to run primarily on battery power. When the battery is depleted, the gas engine recharges the battery. It went on sale in December.

In August, GM said the Cadillac Converj concept, a luxury coupe with extended-range electric vehicle technology, would be produced and marketed as the ELR. The automaker said the ELR program was just getting underway and declined to provide a timetable for its U.S. rollout.

James B. Treece and Mike Colias contributed to this report.

By David Phillips- Automotive News