GM Works to Fix the Spark EUV’s Botched Arrival with Local Assembly in Brazil & Lower Prices in Colombia

Support CleanTechnica’s work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe.

Just as BYD started churning out Seagulls from its new plant at Camaçarí, General Motors announced the arrival of a competitor in the affordable EV segment, the re-branded Chevrolet Spark EUV.

The timing was not ideal. Brazil’s leniency towards EV imports just ended (tariffs for EVs were raised to 25% in July 2025), meaning the Spark EUV would have a significant disadvantage against BYD, more so since this brand has won over the hearts and minds of EV fans worldwide and it’s no longer an unknown name. This meant GM did not have the luxury of charging a high price for its Chinese-made Spark EUV yet, as I complained about in a previous article. The Spark EUV arrived at a cost of R$159.000 (USD $30,000), making it more expensive than the comparable BYD Dolphin and at price parity with the far more desirable BYD Yuan Pro. My guess in that article was that GM seems to have built its price strategy before BYD started lowering its prices in Q2 2025, but now I wonder if the increase in tariffs may have played a part.

(The BYD Yuan Pro is also imported, but perhaps BYD gets some preferential waiver due to the local production of the Dolphin Mini. I couldn’t determine whether that was the case.)

Regardless, Brazil is a highly protectionist country that rewards local players, and GM, a company that has significant investments in the country, knows this pretty well. Then, why did it not build locally from the start? Well, for starters, none of GM’s factories are set for producing EVs, to make them so would require a significant investment, and I guess they weren’t up for that.

Still, it seems in the end GM was compelled to build assemble locally, so the company turned to a multi-brand plant, the Automotive Hub of Ceará, to turn its semi-finished kits (SKD) into brand new Spark EUVs, with production starting before the end of the year. Brazilian law is not aiming for local assembly, but for local production, so SKD kits will start having significant tariffs from 2027 onwards but, at least, this buys GM two years to get its act together regarding what was supposed to be its most important model for its EV strategy in Latin America. Hopefully, local assembly will mean lower prices, better sales, and a plan for local production in one or two years.

Now, if our readers remember, I also complained in that article about the price of the Spark EUV in Colombia, as I was certain that at COP$110’000.000 ($28,150), it would sell nothing more than a token number of units. It seems the local leadership came to that same conclusion, because the price was quietly dropped by 10 million Colombian Pesos (around $2,550) to COP$100’000.000 ($25,600). This price places the Spark EUV on par with the BYD Dolphin and the recently discounted MG4, making it at least competitive in its segment …

… except of course for the GAC Aion UT. But then again, GAC is known for its incomparable price-to-value ratio and its commitment to outcompete even ICEV models, so the comparison seems unfair.

Still, the Spark EUV is now sitting right in the middle of its segment and, having the well-known Chevrolet brand behind it, should be able to garner decent attention and sell a decent number of units, enough perhaps to stay a regular in the top 10.

General Motors could’ve entered these markets with Chinese-made EVs two years ago and gained prestige and a massive first-mover advantage, but it seems it only acted once it was clear that Chinese brands would eat its market share if it stood still. Likewise, it could’ve planned for local production of the Spark EUV in Brazil a year ago. May this serve as a reminder that many traditional brands will only enter the EV age if they’re dragged, and, even then, they’ll do so kicking and screaming.

Still, I’m glad there’s one more EV competing in the Latin American market, and one that, with these changes, has a chance now to sell decently.