EV1:
A Legacy in a New Light
Twenty-five years ago, General Motors kicked off the modern age of electric vehicles
when it rolled out the EV1.
FIRST IN CHARGE
25 years ago, GM rolled out the EV1, a triumph of electrification that
ended in a crushing blow. But the car planted the seed for the industry embrace
of EVs now. Here’s how those who lived the saga remember it.
Chapters
- INTRODUCTION: Revisiting the EV1
- CHAPTER 1: First forays into alternative propulsion
- CHAPTER 2: From concept to road-worthy
- CHAPTER 3: Storm clouds and smiles
- CHAPTER 4: EV1 hits the market
- CHAPTER 5: Demand debate
- CHAPTER 6: Farewell to the EV1
- CHAPTER 7: Crushed
- CHAPTER 8: Exit GM, Enter Tesla
- EPILOGUE: Legacy of EV1
Timing may finally
be right for EVs
Twenty-five years after GM's short-lived EV1 rolled off the assembly line, the automaker's EVs are front and center.
Histor-E: Automakers have been tinkering
with EVs for decades
It was Charles Kettering who killed the electric car. And he did it with an electric motor.
Reuss and Reuss
on EV1 and its Impact
Mark and Lloyd discussed the legacy of the Impact concept and it's production version, the EV1.
10 cool things
From tire-pressure monitoring to pedestrian warning: here are EV1 innovations we take for granted today.
After the EV1
The years since the rollout of the EV1 brought many changes for those involved in the project.
A legend among his peers
Colleagues of longtime GM engineer Jon Bereisa remember his larger-than-life personality and major contributions to the industry’s electrification efforts.
EV1: A visual journey
Twenty-five years ago, the EV1 hit showrooms. It was the first car of the modern age that was designed from the ground up as an electric vehicle for consumers. Here's a closer look.
EV1 CUTAWAY
The EV1 featured many technologies considered advanced for their time.
What could have been
GM had a plan beyond the EV1, but many times plans just don't pan out. Here is a look at the Chevrolet Triax, the EV2 that never was.
LINDSAY CHAPPELL:
The answer to
'Why the EV1?'
The EV1 was GM's statement of "This is us."
RICHARD TRUETT:
The project pays dividends
GM lost money -- a lot of it -- on every one of the 1,117 EV1s leased to customers. But those numbers don't tell the whole story.
The battery
got in the way
of mass adoption
Battery range limitations and cost, hindered mass adoption of the EV1 and were part of the reason the car was built from only 1996 to 1999.
Filmmaker Chris Paine
on who killed
the EV1
The activist-turned-filmmaker has been monumental in telling the story -- or, to some, just one version of the story -- of the EV1.
Bold and turbulent times
A glance at key dates in the life and death of the EV1 and milestone developments involving electric vehicles.
Video
Life, death and legacy
of a groundbreaking EV
Packed with pioneering technologies, the head-turning GM EV1 revealed the benefits and shortcomings of the modern electric vehicle 25 years ago.
Face-to-face
with the GM EV1
Automotive News reporters Pete Bigelow and Hannah Lutz are your guides for an extensive tour and history lesson of the revolutionary electric car.
Podcasts
Ep. 1 | Behind the Saga
Reporters Pete Bigelow and Hannah Lutz tell listeners how they tracked down more than 30 key players to weave together the story of GM's EV1.
Ep. 2 | Hollywood Glamour
General Motors’ flashy launch of the EV1 helped generate a loyal following of celebrities and environmentalists. But when GM slashed the ad budget, it faced a backlash.
Ep. 3 | A Craftsmen Build
Maureen Midgley, first plant manager for the EV1 at the almost boutique-style Lansing Craft Centre in Michigan, describes manufacturing the largely handbuilt EV1.
Ep. 4 | Cultivated. Then crushed
After working as an EV1 leasing agent, Chelsea Sexton became the leader of a group of enthusiasts who tried to save the car. She recounts her topsy-turvy experience.
