Where Were You on 9/11?

Then in 1987 came a racin in the sun; the solar powered auto race across Australia. The GM sponsored solar powered Sunraycer won. GM followed up with the 1990 Impact electric car. The car was aided in design by techincal experts AC Propulsion and Hughes electronics. The futuristic looking ride was the precursor of the EV1. The car was well ahead of the pack except for its lead acid battery bank.

1994, GM started up the PrEView program. The program provided 50 custom built Impact EVs for evaluation. 14,000 people applied to be testers. Motor Trend Magazine called the car "Fantastic". A modified Impact hit a world record183mph.

In one of those interesting twists of fate, the Impact was so well received that it influenced the California Air Resources Board to craft the now famous and defunct Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) mandate. The ruling specified increasing electric car production quotas from the major auto manufactures from 2% in 1998 to 10% in 2003. Gm appeared at first to be all with the mandate, Chevy S-10 pickup trucks were fitted with electric drive motors.

Then, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan showed their support by producing their own EV prototypes. Ford converted its Ranger pickup trucks to electric, and released the Ford TH!NK EV. Electric car conversions blossomed. EVs were indeed on a roll.

The Impact evolved into the 1996 EV1. The car was a hit from the start. Celebrities drove the car and provided free advertising. We remember the local TV anchorman driving the EV1 on camera while providing a steady stream of positive comments. Production was limited, and the EV1 could not be bought and paid for. The car could only be leased, but the future looked good for the electric car. 288 of the 1996 version with lead acid batteries were leased.

GM at this time was already expressing EV doubts in public. The company viewed the PreView program as a failure, yet continued with EV1 development, along with a promotional ad campaign. The hot-cold attitude of GM did not go unnoticed. Citizens repeatedly demonstrated support for the EV1, spending time and money on what they considered to be correct and well done.

In 1999, major improvements were made to the battery pack and drive electronics. In yet another curious move, the number of leases made available was restricted despite an increase in demand for the leases. GM did not seem to obey rational laws of supply and demand.

Then in a reversal, GM issued a recall for 450 EV1s. There were technical problems with the battery packs. 200 of the cars were re-fitted with Ni-MH battery packs.

In 1999, the EV1 production line was stopped after making some 1100 cars. In 2002, recalls of the EV1 were begun, consumers reacted. There were attempts at negotiation. There were protests. In the end, the cars were re-claimed and stored away in a warehouse. The EV1 program was officially ended in 2003. This is the same year that the CARB ruling regarding was repealed, aided by a phalanx of auto industry and cloaked oil company legal types.

The story ends with the crushing of nearly every single EV1. The efforts against EV1 smashing were many and well documented, as demonstrated in the film "Who Killed the Electric car". honda odyssey recalls