The development of the Chevrolet EN-V prototype wasn’t the only electric vehicle-related news to come out of General Motors’ Detroit headquarters today as the automaker also announced the launch of the Spark EV.

The pure-electric version of its Spark city car will be produced in limited numbers for select global and US markets, including California, starting from 2013.

“The Spark EV offers customers living in urban areas who have predictable driving patterns or short commutes an all-electric option”, said Chevrolet’s global vehicle chief engineer for electric vehicles Jim Federico.

“It complements Chevrolet’s growing range of electrified vehicles, including the Volt extended-range EV and the 2013 Malibu Eco with eAssist technology,” he added.

The zero-emissions model will be powered by A123 Systems’ nanophosphate lithium-ion battery pack that was initially thought to have been created for the Cadillac Converj but was in fact developed for a new range of GM electric vehicles.

Naturally, the Spark EV is based on Chevy’s five-door hatchback that is already on sale in overseas markets.

As Federico explains, it will benefit from experience gained in GM’s experimental fleets in Shanghai (Sail EV), Korea (Cruze EV) and India (Beat/Spark EV): “Our global demo fleets continue to provide insight into the needs of electric vehicle customers. The Spark EV is another step in Chevrolet’s plan to provide customers with a variety of electrification solutions to address the lifestyle and transportation needs of people around the world.”

GM said that further details on specific markets, range, quantities and of course, pricing, will be announced at a later date.

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