Groundbreaking in 1990, the EV1 electric car has been consigned to the scrap heap of history, but will GM someday regret its decision?
Open Access Article Originally Published: January 10, 2004
How many automobiles do you know worthy of a "wake"? The only one I am aware of is the much-loved -- by its drivers if not the company who built it -- is ... was the GM EV1. I say was, because as the photo above sadly illustrates, most of the limited-production, pure electric two-seaters have been smashed into junk.
Last summer, dozens of EV1 lessees, enthusiasts and supporters gathered for a memorial service to underscore not only their affection for the ground-breaking electric car but also to register their disappointment, frustration and in some cases anger with the corporation they believe prematurely "pulled the plug" on a car that runs on American-made electric power instead of imported fossil fuels.
The EV1 began life as the Impact at the 1990 Los Angeles Auto Show. It was more an exercise in imagination and engineering expertise -- as most concept vehicles are -- than intended for actual production. But then Roger Smith made the fateful remark -- exactly when and where is of some dispute -- that the car could be put into production, launching a decade-long, billion-dollar effort of corporate pride and then face-saving, as well as unintentionally helping father California's Zero Emission Vehicle mandate.
Paul MacCready's Aerovironment in Monrovia developed the car for General Motors after building the revolutionary Sunraycer, a solar-powered car that won the first World Solar Challenge race from Darwin to Adelaide in 1987. The success of the Sunraycer so intrigued GM, that they agreed to fund development of the Santana, as the Impact was originally called. It looked essentially like the EV1 and convincingly proved to GM that a modern battery electric car was possible, mainly because of advances in high-power electronics, if not in battery technology, which would continue to lag and eventually prove the Achilles Heel of the program.
To fulfill his promise to California, Smith and his successor, Robert Stempel would spend hundreds of millions of dollars to bring the concept to reality -- garnering dozens of important patents in the process -- leasing the first cars in late 1996. The company would eventually build over 1,100 cars in two limited production builds at its Lansing, Michigan assembly plant.
For reasons best known to GM and probably intricately entwined in complex questions of product liability and support, the company decided it would only lease the car, rather than offer it for sale, a decision that still vexes the few hundred drivers lucky enough to pass GM's rigorous lease qualification procedures.
The original EV1s came equipped with Delphi-built lead-acid batteries that gave the car a real world range of between 60 to 75 miles, depending on how you drove it. GM eventually replaced the trouble-prone Delphi's with Panasonic advanced lead-acid batteries in the second generation of the car, which became available in 1999. It also offered an advanced model equipped with GM-Ovonic NiMH batteries that nearly doubled the range of the car to 140 miles. Under special test conditions, the NiMH car could go 200 miles on a single charge, but there were problems with keeping the battery pack cool, especially in the warm climes of Southern California and Arizona where summer heat sapped the power out of the packs.
The EV1s inductive charging system would further complicate the introduction of the car. While a very elegant solution that relied on magnetic fields to recharge the car's batteries, inductive charging was significantly more expensive to manufacture. GM's competitors -- Ford, Chrysler and Honda -- preferred the simpler and less costly conductive system that relied on metal to metal contact.
GM won over Toyota and Nissan to the inductive side, convincing them that the system was safer, more convenient and helped lighten the car by removing the heavy charger off the vehicle, thus improving range. The disadvantage was that now the car could only be recharged at an inductive charger, whereas with the charger built into the car, all you needed to recharge was 110 or 220 volt outlet, available at a million different locations.
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Reader Comments
8 comments so far...
04-Jan-2009
65405
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Hello Richard Marks, editor and others: Just want to say that www.doublebatterylife.com is a solution if anyone would just check it out. I personally have run a very old 1985 ezgo golf cart 46 miles (normal was always 15-20 miles approximate) and that 46 miles was on 25% smaller lead acid batteries than the trojan stock T-105's that come with it.
A this time I request anyone to help me obtain some nimh batteries for our Ev Zap Xebra Pk. THANKS !
Posted by: j d
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15-Oct-2005
10250
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EV1 trucks did survive and are serviced by evbones.com in Mesa Arizona. There are only about 45 that were privatly owned. They even reprogram the chargers and put in NiMH batteries.
Even better AC Propulsions did the T-Zero that goes 300 miles on a cgarge and is grid connected compatible so you can charge or sell power or use the vehicle as batetry backup. They will convert the SCIONS soon and sell full electrics.
Many other companies, mostly Asian are making EV's and will sell them in the US in the next few years. With lithium batteries that go 200-300 miles and last 100K miles it will be great.
Hydrogen may be 10-20 years away but advanced batteries and new manufacturers are here now. Hey GM there is still time to join in.
Jim
Posted by: Jim Stack
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20-Jul-2004
3985
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It's about patents. GM doesn't want anyone else to make a highly efficient BEV."
Posted by: Arnold Larsen
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11-Jan-2004
1223
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This is particularly sad for me, who worked at GM for 25 years before I walked out the door over lack of management commitment to EV's. I worked on EV1 and was responsible for helping the whole EV1 team achieve and control the weight of the vehicle. Over the development of the vehicle we, as a team, took out close to 400lbs of weight that crept in and was then cut out. The program was successful but like most GM managed projects never has the leadership to achieve what is in reach by the people working on it. I spent 6 years working at GMEV, now called GMATV. I spent the last 2-3 years leading GM down the conversion vehicle route. I helped build the first S10 Electric, but did not want to use GM Hughes or "Delphi" batteries, motor, chargers, etc. They were just too damn expensive and GM did not know how to manage the new technology. So I was taken off the production program. I went on to build several other conversions, some of which GM could have built and introduced for as little as $15,000 and made money on it. I did not need a $100M budgets to do them, but GM chickened out and blamed the sales on lack of people wanting it. I developed a passion over BEV's that I thank GM for. I am now continuing to develop my dream and should start a NEV car company this year. EV's will happen, but not from within the current establishment. It will come from outside by experienced automotive people like we have assembled in our car company. Just like the mechanical watch and vacuum tube companies of the past, day's car companies will watch their businesses vanish when EV's start to eat their business away. The US and the world is starting to be aware of the wasteful energy consumption that is taking place. People are starting to see the need for a short mission around the town vehicle, which is a fraction of the cost to own, maintain, and operate. We will be there, small at first, but we will grow. Keep your eyes posted and when it happens, you can thank GM quietly for starting the transportation evolution.
"
Posted by: Richard Marks
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12-Jan-2004
1232
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Open Letter
The stack of broken dreams brought tears to my eyes. From the time that I pluged in a battery pack to the first EV1 motor controler at Hughes El Segundo I've worked and sweated Years to make EV's happen. This destressing photo of stupid pancakes will stick in my mind and only slightly temper the memory of flooring the Juice pedal in the first EV1 I drove. A toast to all the triumphant visionary engineers how worked on the slient screamer. We will not forget.
Lin R. Higley
"
Posted by: Lin Higley
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13-Jan-2004
1244
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A fitting tribute to the 'most efficient car ever produced' (quoting GM.) I nearly had to pried out of my rented EV1 by the Budget folks at LAX, and I've agitated for mass production and sales of the EV1 ever since.
Posted by: Hugh Webber
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15-Jan-2004
1268
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This is typical of GM's lack of commitment to develop and produce intresting or hi-tech vehicles over the years. The Corvair and Fiero are typical examples of potentialy great vehicles in the past that went by the wayside. If it needs additional development to be a great car they bail out and go back to mediocrity. Look at Toyota and the Prius, a high tech state of the art vehicle that can be sold at $20,000.00. I am currently developing my own low-tech electric town vehicle with off the shelf components to show that it can be done. "
Posted by: Ed Matula
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15-Jan-2004
1271
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Cologne 15 / 01 / 2004
REGARDING: Eulogy for the EV 1
Dear Bill Moore:
Really I am at a Loss!
I have to soothe my thoughts regarding this
unfortunate and extremely sad ending of the EV1.
The omni-directional stupidity of this action
by a mayor US corporation is a clearcut insult
on the environment we live in. We learn to take care...... and we teach our children to protect the environment! I am at a loss! Gerd Kubaczyk
ps. I appreciate your news letters!"
Posted by: gerd kubaczyk
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