The Spark EV will initially be a fleet vehicle only and pricing will be announced closer to launch. It will be eligible for Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia provincial EV incentives.

According to Chevrolet, with the Chevrolet Volt, Chevrolet accounts for more than 50 percent of all plug-in electric vehicle sales in the North America. The Spark EV builds on Chevrolet’s proven electric motor and battery development programs.

Chevrolet expects the Spark EV to have, at launch, among the best EV battery range in its segment and to be the first electric vehicle to offer SAE Combo DC Fast Charging capability, enabling the Spark EV to reach 80-percent battery charge in just 20 minutes.

The Spark EV will come with Chevrolet’s MyLink radio that will be standard equipment and brings smartphone-based infotainment – including apps for BringGo full-function navigation, TuneIn global internet radio, and Stitcher – into the vehicle. Apple’s Siri will ride shotgun, for customers with compatible (4S and newer) iPhones.

In addition to previously announced markets including California and South Korea, the Spark EV is confirmed to go on sale in participating dealerships throughout Oregon and Canada (Fleet only).

The Spark EV will be eligible for coveted high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes in California, and similar HOV lanes in participating Canadian provinces.

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Siri is a voice-based intelligent assistant well known for its presence on recent Apple iPhones.

“The Chevy Sonic and Spark are the first vehicles to offer Siri Eyes Free integration,” said Cristi Landy, Chevrolet marketing director for small cars. “Safe, easy, reliable and portable connectivity is a top priority for our customers, and Siri complements MyLink’s existing capabilities to help deliver an incredible driving experience.”

Chevrolet said through the cars’ standard Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system, customers with a compatible iPhone running iOS 6 can direct Siri to perform a number of tasks while they safely keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel. To further minimize distraction, Siri takes hands-free functionality even further with an Eyes Free mode which enables drivers to interact with their iPhones using nothing more than their voice while keeping the device’s screen from lighting up.

Owners simply connect their iPhone with the MyLink radio via Bluetooth, pair with the system, and use the steering wheel voice activation button to begin and end sessions with Siri.

In the 2013 Spark and Sonic vehicles equipped with MyLink, owners can use Siri in Eyes Free mode to:

• Make voice-activated, hands-free calls to Contacts on their iPhone
• Play songs in their iTunes libraries, and even switch music sources automatically from AM/FM/XM radio to iPod mode
• Listen to, and compose and send an iMessage or text message to a phone number or anyone in saved Contacts
• Access Calendar and add appointments
• Minimize distraction even more by keeping the screen of the iPhone from lighting up even when Siri answers simple questions such as game scores or the dates of national holidays

Both the Spark and the Sonic also come with six months of OnStar’s premium Directions and Connections service.

Most smartphone owners can also download the RemoteLink Mobile App, which allows OnStar subscribers to control and manage certain vehicle functions from their phone.

Current 2013 Chevrolet Spark and Sonic owners will be able to upgrade existing MyLink radios for Siri capability beginning in March.

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