The EV1 was the first modern, mass-produced electric vehicle from a major automaker — pioneering some technologies you can still find in today's EVs. But the model was controversial, and short-lived.
The General Motors EV1 pioneered technology you can still find in electric vehicles today. Just over 1,000 were built, and the cars were only available for lease in a few states.If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.
Under pressure, automakers researched electric vehicles, hybrids and even hydrogen fuel cells to comply with the mandate. In 1992, reporter Paul Eisenstein was assigned by NPR to check out the early results, traveling to Arizona to test drive a GM prototype called the Impact. The car's battery could take you about 70 miles on a full charge. Battery technology improved over the years, increasing the EV1's range to about 100 miles. But the EV1 gave rise to a new consumer concern:"range anxiety."researcher Ron Conlin told NPR in 1997."The anxiety of the consumer is reflected in our studies."
Only about 800 drivers leased an EV1, according to an Associated Press article from 2005. However, reports indicated thousands more people put their name on a wait list. GM spokesperson Dave Barthmuss told NPR that the company followed up with those people, and found"less than 50 customers" on the wait list were willing to lease a vehicle.
The cars' three-year lease agreements expired in the early 2000s, but GM canceled the program and took its EV1s back. In 2005, NPR reporter Luke Burbank"We call that EV1 death row," said Chelsea Sexton, a former GM employee who worked on the EV1 program and was critical of the company's move to stop making electric vehicles.
GM EV1 Legacy Zero-Emission Vehicles California Air Pollution Mandate EV1 Impact On EV Technology
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