In the summer of 2011, GM India showcased the pure electric version of the Beat (pictured on the left) in New Delhi.
Codenamed the BEV, the Beat EV gets a electric motor producing about 45kW of power sourcing its juice from an electric battery pack adopted from a Chevy Volt.
In the United States, GM has announced its plans to take the Beat EV to the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month. However, this is not the same Beat EV that we saw last year. This Beat EV will be based on the US version of Chevy Beat (branded Spark, pictured on the right) which features slightly different front fascia and marginally better interior.
The Chevrolet Spark EV will be powered by an electric motor that produces 85 kW (nearly twice the power of the concept). It sources power from a lithium-ion battery pack good for 81 miles in normal conditions. It will also feature regenerative braking technology. Charging the car takes less than 8 hours when a 240 V outlet is used.
Chevrolet will also endow the Spark EV with an updated version of the Chevrolet MyLink system which features an improved smartphone integration.
GM says that the Spark EV will be sold in limited numbers in select parts of the U.S. and global markets.
