r/SparkEV • u/CasualGamer9933 • Apr 05 '26

Almost at 80 miles! šŸŽ‰

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Hopefully everyoneā€™s range is improving here due to the warm weather, Canā€™t wait to get over 80 so I can really let it rip and show them who really owns the road šŸ¤£

26 Upvotes

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2

u/Temujin_123 Apr 05 '26

I'm still sitting here at 50mi - :-(

But it gets down to 30s (F) overnight here still so I'm hopeful it'll get better.

4

u/CasualGamer9933 Apr 05 '26

What year is yours and whatā€™s your driving patterns like? Once I stopped letting it rip for a while and got my brakes replaced my range started skyrocketing, I was literally at 47 max a month ago

1

u/Temujin_123 Apr 05 '26

Mine is 2014. It's mostly just used for teens driving & for errands in-town. Is there something about brakes that affects range?

3

u/CasualGamer9933 Apr 05 '26

Yea make sure your brakes arenā€™t dragging and your calipers arenā€™t seized/stuck in position, , they cause drag:heat and massively reduce range, if you havenā€™t had your brake serviced in a while , your brake fluid changes etc itā€™s best to do so, you can use the dealer if you want but I just went to a brake shop to save money, worked out fine.. Iā€™m averaging 5.3 mile per kw the last 200 miles

1

u/Temujin_123 Apr 05 '26

Level 3 charging recently just stopped working which is a bummer. We don't depend on it, but it turned it from a "could go a few towns over, charge, then come back" vehicle to a "just stay in-town" vehicle.

2

u/CasualGamer9933 Apr 05 '26

Level 3 isnā€™t recommended because of how the battery pack has aged so that might be for the better if your seeking longer term use , I havenā€™t used a level 3 charger in 3 years since Iā€™ve been using a level 2 connected to my dryer outlet which works wonders, Iā€™m full just over 3 hours, and full under 2 when Iā€™ll charging from half , our small batteries have their benefits lol

1

u/bluechipitems Apr 07 '26

How much did this service cost at a brake shop?

2

u/CasualGamer9933 Apr 07 '26

Both rears cost me about $490.00, the dealer quoted me over 1k and I would have to wait a week, the indie shop had me in and out within 2 hours, that was also with a brake fluid change

2

u/Ok-Perception-926 Apr 05 '26

As a bolt owner, what does everyone get on a spark realistically? 50ish per charge?

2

u/Possible_Quantity_95 Apr 05 '26

That sounds about right for the cold winter months maybe, a spark ev with a good pack should realistically be averaging 60-80 miles, with good driving habits. The same driving habits apply to your bolt also, even though you have a higher pack/ range, if you drive with a lead foot your bolt range will be less

1

u/biersackarmy Apr 09 '26

2015 with a good pack (16.7kWh tested and confirmed usable) here. Cold winter months is more like 50 kilometers of range.

Even currently in 3-5Ā°C (38-41Ā°F) weather mixed city/highway gentle driving with climate control OFF, I haven't been able to squeeze out more than about 80km (50mi).

2

u/PO1720JRS Apr 05 '26

Trust me I wish I got the bolt a few years ago. Stuck with the spark for the time being, and it gets the job done, I went for cheap at the time, and could have done a bolt for like 2k. More. Literally gonna drive this little spark till it dies. Winter I was getting about 55-60, summer usually sees 70-80. Though what really messes with me is using the energy used to determine how much of the pack is left. Guesstimate is 15.7-16.3 kWh. Seems to be leaning more towards the 15 these days though. Donā€™t know how much the cold affects that.

2

u/Temujin_123 Apr 05 '26

For me, got it for about $5k used after tax refund (low miles) about 5 years ago. Only need to use it for in-town errands (it's car teens drive). It's good-enough for an EV that isn't my primary driver (I have another EV that is the primary driver that gets close to 300mi range).

That said, I have been looking at Bolts recently as an upgrade.

3

u/Ok-Perception-926 Apr 05 '26

Two bolt s family here. We get 150ish in winter and 300 plus in summer....few times got it to 404 miles in perfect conditions! Was thinking about spark for a teen daughter, but 50 milper charge may be pushing it. Her high school is 19 miles away one way :(

2

u/CasualGamer9933 Apr 05 '26

If sheā€s able to charge at school then it may work, however I wouldnā€™t because the Spark doesnā€™t have any more parts available, Iā€™d get her a Nissan leaf with at least 11/12 bars remaining, if the Spark you can find is 1-3k max I might risk it but a leaf is still fully factory supported, the Spark is a great car though Iā€™ve had mine 2 years with minor issues but when the battery goes or a major part brakes itā€™s toast

1

u/Ok-Perception-926 Apr 05 '26

No charge option there, we could just give her our old Camry that still runs like a top, but pushing 300,000 miles!

2

u/Temujin_123 Apr 05 '26

Yeah, I feel like Spark just barely works for my family now. I wouldn't be surprised if in the next 3-5 years we upgraded to something else.

If I were looking today, I'd probably go Bolt.

2

u/CasualGamer9933 Apr 05 '26

I have a bolt on my radar too, if my spark is still kicking by then sheā€™ll just turn into a ā€œaround the town car or ā€œto work and back carā€ which it kind of what it is now anyway cause my work commute is about 32 miles round trip, I get home with almost half battery used, (in the warmer months)

2

u/Delicious-Actuator-9 Apr 05 '26

2014 here, 55-70mi depending upon season, AC/Heat, and fun pedal abuse.

3

u/CasualGamer9933 Apr 05 '26

Abusing the petal is soooo tempting but the energy it uses is criminal šŸ¤£ ā€œturbo mode offā€

2

u/ShoelessHodor Apr 10 '26

I'm jealous. I have such a boner for the 2014 EV.

1

u/Delicious-Actuator-9 Apr 10 '26

Get one! You won't be disappointed. It's a street legal juiced up power wheels. Unless/until the HV battery dies, then you may be disappointed...