Chevrolet Beat EV Will be Unveiled in April

General Motors India’s Spark EV project showed a lot of promise, only to be dropped due to the fact that partner REVA Electric was bought by rival Mahindra & Mahindra. But it seems that the company is unfazed by this setback and is pushing forward in order to give the electric vehicle market another shot in the form of the Chevrolet Beat EV, which it plans to unveil in April this year, according to IndianCarsBikes.

While details regarding the battery-powered car from General Motors India remain unclear, we would expect a range of about 100 kilometers (62 miles) on a full charge from the Beat EV, as is the case with most such cars in the segment. The juice could come with both lead acid as well as lithium ion batteries as this would give GM India an opportunity to have two different price points, the cheaper lead acid variant and the costlier lithium ion variant for premium customers. Also, a number of exciting technologies could be introduced to the electric citycar, including regenerative braking and economy-boost modes.

The Spark Electric had these features, so it makes sense that GM India would outfit the Beat EV with the same if not a greater set of features.

The one major hurdle faced by the manufacturer is the price for the electric Beat. According to the Indian online publication, it would have to be priced under the INR700,000 (about $15,000) mark to be competitive.

General Motors is also working on the Beat diesel, while also planning to put an additional mini car in the Spark segment early next year. This should be a 800cc variant or a new small car, developed with its Chinese partner SAIC.