• Home
  • EV News
  • EV Blogs
  • Podcast
  • Videos
  • Vehicles
    • Sales
    • Electric Cars
    • Tata Electric Cars
    • Electric Scooters
    • OLA Electric
    • Electric Cycles
    • Electric MotorCycles
    • Electric Cargo Vehicles
    • Campus Vehicles
  • Categories
    • Community Charging
    • Buyer's Guides
    • Real Life EV Stories
    • How To Guides
    • EV Test Reports
    • EV Travelogues
    • EV Conversions
    • Events
    • Educate
  • About Us
  • Community
    • Discord
PluginIndia Electric Vehicles

The Legend of the GM EV1

5/1/2014

0 Comments

 
By Kamlesh Mallick
The General Motors EV1 was the first serious modern attempt at an electric car by a major manufacturer. The EV1 was a marvel of engineering, absolutely the best electric vehicle anyone had ever seen. The EV1 was produced and leased by the General Motors Corporation from 1996 to 1999, mainly to comply with California's zero-emissions-vehicle mandate.  
The mandate stated that the production and sale of zero-emission vehicles was a requirement for the seven major automakers selling cars in the United States to continue to market their vehicles in California. 
The EV1 was made available through limited lease-only agreements, initially to residents of the cities of Los Angeles, California, and Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona
Picture
The EV1 went into production in 1996. It was compact two-seater. It featured an aluminum space frame, aluminum suspension components, and plastic body panels, to keep weight down. It also had electric power brakes and steering.

Gen I cars had a AC induction motor and a 16.5-kWh lead-acid battery pack. In 1999, GM released Gen II cars with 18.7-kWh lead-acid batteries, and later upgraded them further with 26.4-kWh nickel metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries.  The electric motor, produced 137 horsepower and 149 newton-meters of torque.
GM advertised the EV1’s range as 70 to 90 miles.  This range is similar to the range provided by the likes of the Nissan Leaf, Mitsubhishi iMiev i and Mahindra e2o back in the late 90s!
PictureCool digital display of the EV1
GM never sold the EV1, they only leased it to a very select few (GM had a three year waiting list to lease an EV1 – so many wanted the EV1).  

Many customers wanted to buy an EV1.  It was smooth, quiet, fast, super high tech and the EV1 had a cult following.  


At that time, GM told potential customers that the EV1 cant be sold in all markets, as it had to do with the newness of the technology and the fact that it was not suitable in cold climates.

 Tom Hanks, the famous Hollywood actor was a lessee.  He praised the car on late-night talk shows, saying "Believe it or not, that sucker goes!"

Picture
Aeroplane style controls and buttons!
Picture
                                                                           GM EV1 Overview
In 2000, the vice president of GM, Harry Pearce announced that there was no particular need for the company continue manufacturing electric cars.  Ironically, that was after GM had bought the Hummer brand and decide to promote the fuel guzzling 10 mpg behemoth of a vehicle.

In 2003, the company started recalling all leased vehicles. Anyone who refused to hand over their EV1 got a home visit from a tow truck sent to impound the vehicles.  Groups of EV1 drivers sent letters and deposit checks to GM, requesting lease extensions at no risk or cost to the automaker. The drivers reportedly agreed to be responsible for the maintenance and repair costs of the EV1, and would allow GM the right to terminate the lease if expensive repairs were needed. On June 28, GM famously refused the offer and returned the checks, which totaled $22,000.
PictureCrushed EV1s
By late 2003, GM began reclaiming the cars; about 40 were donated to museums and educational institutions, albeit with deactivated powertrains meant to keep the cars from ever running again, but the majority were sent to car crushers to be destroyed.

The demise of the EV1 is the subject of a 2006 documentary film entitled Who Killed the Electric Car?. Much of the film accounts for GM's efforts to demonstrate to California that there was no demand for their product and then to reclaim every last EV1 and dispose of them. 
GM did respond to the documentary by saying that there was
no demand for such cars and crushed the last EV1 in 2006

Picture
Must watch documentary for EV fans
It makes me wonder how truly frightened the auto and the oil industry was of the EV1s potential. 
I guess we will never know.  

At that time, despite people's best efforts, it looked like there was no escape from the oil guzzling, atmospheric polluting internal combustion engine. 

But the legend of the EV1 lived on and four years later due to pent up consumer demand for vehicles with alternate propulsion and the rise of Tesla Motors, GM started investing in the development of the Chevy Volt.
By mid 2013, most major automobile manufacturers have provided American customers with an EV as an option.  The world is following suit.

But lets all remember this - The EV1 will always be remembered as the pioneer of the modern EV industry.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Ask Your EV Guru
    Blogs From Heart & Soul
    Buyers Guides
    Charging Stations
    Clean Energy
    Commercial Vehicles
    Community Initiatives
    Conversion Kits
    Electric Bikes
    Electric Bus
    Electric Cars
    Electric MotorCycles
    Electric Scooters
    Events
    EV Expos & Exhibitions
    EV Industry News
    EV Sales
    EV Technology
    EV Travelogues
    How To Guides
    Interviews
    Podcasts
    RE:LIVE Events
    Student Projects
    Surveys

    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

    Picture

    RSS Feed

Plug in india

About us
Advertise with us
Contact us

Privacy Policy
Terms of Service

Support US

Get access to exclusive perks
  • Become a YouTube member
  • Become a Patreon

Subscribe to our newsletter

© COPYRIGHT 2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • EV News
  • EV Blogs
  • Podcast
  • Videos
  • Vehicles
    • Sales
    • Electric Cars
    • Tata Electric Cars
    • Electric Scooters
    • OLA Electric
    • Electric Cycles
    • Electric MotorCycles
    • Electric Cargo Vehicles
    • Campus Vehicles
  • Categories
    • Community Charging
    • Buyer's Guides
    • Real Life EV Stories
    • How To Guides
    • EV Test Reports
    • EV Travelogues
    • EV Conversions
    • Events
    • Educate
  • About Us
  • Community
    • Discord