Spark EV

Chevrolet said Tuesday it is lowering the base price of the 2015 Spark EV from $26,820 to $25,995, which is less than the 2015 Nissan Leaf’s starting price of $29,010 and the 2015 Ford Focus Electric’s base price of $29,170. These prices don’t include any state or federal tax credits or manufacturer incentives. The Spark EV will be sold in Maryland starting mid-year and is currently on sale in California and Oregon. The Nissan Leaf is available nationwide and Ford says its Focus Electric is available at more than 900 dealerships in the U.S.

Tim Mahoney, chief marketing officer, Global Chevrolet and Global GM marketing operations leader, says that there are some hurdles keeping shoppers from choosing an electric car, like a lack of charging infrastructure, driving range and affordability.

Chevrolet is trying to clear the affordability hurdle and attract more buyers to its Spark EV with low monthly lease payments. On Tuesday it announced a new lease deal on the 2015 Spark EV of $139 a month for 39 months with $0 due at signing, which is good through the end of April. Nissan’s April lease deal on the 2015 Leaf is $199 a month for 36 months with $2,399 down, and Ford is offering a lease deal through early July on the 2015 Focus Electric of $149 a month for 36 months with $3,293 at signing. Not only is the Spark EV lease payment lower than the payments for the Leaf and Focus Electric, but with no down payment and a three-month longer lease, it’s a much less expensive lease than the other EV lease offers.