The move comes as the carmaker brings together all of its electric vehicle battery building capabilities in-house with production of battery systems for the 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV at its battery assembly plant in Brownstown, Michigan in the US.

The newly designed battery system features an overall storage capacity of 19kWh and uses 192 lithium ion cells. Weighing 474lb, the battery system is 86 pounds lighter than the system in the 2014 Spark EV.

The carmaker said that the changes in battery design will not affect the Spark’s MPGe or performance compared to the 2014 model. Range will remain at an EPA-rated 82 miles and MPGe will remain at 119. 

‘Using our in-house engineering and manufacturing expertise enabled us to deliver a battery system that is more efficient and lighter than the 2014 Spark EV without sacrificing range,’ said Larry Nitz, executive director of GM global transmission and electrification engineering. ‘Our successful working relationship with LG Chem has allowed us to deliver a new battery system for the Spark EV that helps us to better leverage our economies of scale.’

The 2015 Spark is priced at $19,995 with full federal incentives in the US and is currently on sale in California and Oregon.